I&M's Retail and Business Banking growth magic in H12026

I&M Group's Retail & Business Banking (RBB) segment delivered its strongest performance yet in H1 2026, posting 41% growth in MSME segment revenue and a 28% increase in customer numbers, backed by an expanding branch and ATM network and 99% digital service availability. Group-wide, RBB operating income grew 14% to KES 14 billion, net loans and advances rose 20% to KES 109 billion, and customer deposits climbed 9% to KES 267 billion, with Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda leading the growth. In this interview, we sit down with Shameer Patel, Director of Retail and Business Banking at I&M Bank, to break down what's driving this growth, how the bank is scaling its retail and SME franchise, and what it means for customers across the region going into the rest of 2026. 📊 Key highlights from I&M Group's H1 2026 results: MSME segment revenue up 41% Customer numbers up 28% RBB operating income: KES 14bn (+14%) Net loans & advances: KES 109bn (+20%) Customer deposits: KES 267bn (+9%) 119 branches and 156 ATMs across the region 99% digital service availability #IMBank #IMGroup #RetailBanking #BusinessBanking #SME #Kenya #EastAfrica #H12026 #BankingResults