Brand Finance’s Kenya 25 2026 reveals that the collective brand value of the country’s top 25 brands rises to KES349 billion
NAIROBI, 16 April 2026 – Kenya’s top 25 brands reflect a growing business landscape as the country enters a period of optimistic economic growth, resulting in a steady 3% increase to its collective brand value to KES349 billion this year.
According to the Kenya 25 2026 report by Brand Finance, the world's leading brand valuation consultancy, the country's banking sector accounts for the largest share of total brand value at 56% (KES196 billion).
Over the past year, Kenya’s banking sector has strengthened its dominance, with seven brands represented in the ranking, up from six in 2025. Six of the seven feature in the top 10, with Equity Bank (brand value up 4% to KES73.9 billion) maintaining its position as the most valuable brand for the third consecutive year. Its performance is underpinned by solid financial results over the past year, recording strong growth in revenue and asset base approaching almost KES2 trillion, reflecting the brand’s expanding balance sheet across African markets.
Kenya Commercial Bank (brand value up 9% to KES59.7 billion) follows as Kenya’s second most valuable brand, overtaking Safaricom (brand value down 4% to KES55.7 billion), which moves to third place. Kenya Commercial Bank’s performance this year was largely driven by the brand’s profit after tax during the 2024 financial year, reporting KES55.9 billion, the highest in Kenya’s banking history.
Safaricom’s performance was impacted by regulatory scrutiny over its mobile money dominance and the delayed rollout of commercial 5G services, impacting the telecoms brand’s overall performance. In addition, the brand reported that operating losses in its entry into the Ethiopian market proved more capital-intensive than initially projected. Despite these pressures, the brand’s core Kenyan operations remain resilient, supported by its strategic transitioning from a telco to a technology brand with initiatives spanning health-tech (M-TIBA), agriculture (DigiFarm), and cloud services.
CIC Insurance Group (brand value up 28% to KES3.3 billion) recorded noteworthy brand value growth over the past year and ranks as the 14th most valuable brand. Its performance reflects a shift in the country’s spending culture with a growing number of people buying insurance, resulting in revenue growth across its major product lines, including medical, non-medical, and life insurance. This performance was further supported by geographical expansion, with contributions coming from operations in Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, and South Sudan.
Tusker (brand value up 16% to KES11.1 billion) remains the strongest Kenyan brand, earning a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 97.9/100 and an AAA+ brand strength rating. The beer brand’s success was due to strong performances across key metrics, such as familiarity, preference, and reputation, reflecting a widespread presence in the country’s cultural and commercial landscape. The Tusker Nexters, a creative platform sponsoring emerging talents, has been instrumental in building a meaningful connection with younger demographics and reinforcing long-term brand affinity across the country.
Walter Serem, Regional Manager, Brand Finance East Africa, commented:
“Kenya’s brand landscape in 2026 reflects a market that is becoming increasingly competitive, resilient, and strategically diversified. The continued strength of the banking sector, led by Equity Bank and Kenya Commercial Bank, highlights the importance of scale, financial performance, and regional expansion in driving brand value. At the same time, brands such as Tusker and M-PESA demonstrate how strong consumer relevance, cultural connection, and long-term trust continue to shape brand strength and sustainability perceptions in the Kenyan market.”
Other notable Kenyan brands featured in the Brand Finance Kenya 25 2026 report include:
Sustainability
The 2026 Sustainability Perceptions Index reveals which brands are perceived to have the strongest commitment to sustainability globally, the changing role of sustainability in driving demand, and the large amounts of value tied to sustainability for the world’s biggest brands.
Brand Finance research shows that, among Kenyan brands, the phone-based mobile money service M-PESA leads on perceptions of sustainability across all three Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) pillars.
M-PESA’s sustainability credentials demonstrate how strong ESG performance can deepen trust, and support long-term brand value. In 2025, M-PESA achieved a 99% recycling rate, collecting 190 tonnes of e-waste and 62 tonnes of plastic through M-PESA Green Points, a programme that rewards users for eco-friendly actions.
Socially, the brand continues to advance financial inclusion in underserved communities, areas, improving access to education and healthcare. From a governance perspective, M-PESA has also contributed to identifying illicit activity, including poaching and money laundering linked to transactions on its platform.
Safaricom, Kenya Commercial Bank, and Tusker also record strong sustainability perceptions among Kenyan brands.
Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organisations make strategic decisions.
Headquartered in London, Brand Finance operates in over 25 countries. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 6,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.
Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on 6,000 brands, surveying more than 175,000 respondents across 41 countries and 31 industry sectors. By combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database — the largest brand value database in the world — Brand Finance equips ambitious brand leaders with the data, analytics, and the strategic guidance they need to enhance brand and business value.
In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics, compliant with ISO 20671.
Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm and a committed leader in the standardisation of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.
Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.
Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.
Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.
Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.
The steps in this process are as follows:
1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.
2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.
3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.
4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.
5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.
6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.
7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.
Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.
The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.
