NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 22 – The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) has granted regulatory approval to Safaricom Plc and Airtel Money Kenya Limited to operate as Intermediary Service Platform Providers (ISPPs). In addition, CC Kenya Securities Limited, trading as Capital.com, has been licensed to operate as a Dealing Online Foreign Exchange Broker.
The licensing of Safaricom and Airtel Money is expected to increase competition, broaden investor choice, and enhance digital access to regulated capital markets products.
By operating as ISPPs, the mobile money giants will facilitate easier participation in Kenya’s capital markets, potentially enabling a wider population to invest securely online.
Separately, a dealing broker such as Capital.com is authorized to act as a principal and market maker in online foreign exchange trading.
This includes opening client accounts, providing trading platforms, offering market information, monitoring client positions, and issuing end-of-day reports, in line with the Capital Markets (Online Foreign Exchange Trading) Regulations, 2017.
To date, CMA has licensed thirteen non-dealing online forex brokers, two dealing online forex brokers, and three money managers, reflecting growing institutional interest in Kenya’s regulated online forex ecosystem.
The approvals are seen as part of CMA’s broader efforts to modernize and digitize the financial sector, enhancing transparency, investor protection, and access to regulated trading services.
