NAIROBI, Aug 6 – The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has set a payment limit of 250,000 Kenyan shillings ($1,936) for investors using M-Pesa to buy Infrastructure Bonds. Anyone investing above that amount must make their payment through a commercial bank.
Speaking during an investor briefing on August 5, the central bank said all bond payments must be made in Kenyan shillings, as foreign currencies will not be accepted.
CBK also said investors must first open an Investor Central Securities Depository (CSD) account through the DhowCSD mobile app or the DhowCSD investor portal before they can buy the bonds.
To register, applicants must provide their personal details, KRA PIN, bank account information and supporting documents, including a passport photo, an identity document and a KRA PIN certificate. Investors with tax exemptions must also provide a valid tax exemption certificate.
After registering, applicants will receive a verification code by email. Their details will then be sent to their settlement bank for approval. Once the process is complete, they will receive an email confirming that their Investor CSD account is ready to use.
CBK advised investors to complete their registration within seven days because incomplete applications will be deleted automatically after that time.
The central bank has also reopened its 16-year, 18-year and 21-year Infrastructure Treasury Bonds to raise 150 billion Kenyan shillings for infrastructure projects. The offer opened on July 30 and will close on August 12. The auction will take place on the same day, while successful investors are expected to make their payments on August 17. for loans from regulated financial institutions.
