There was a story in the story in the Standard about unit trusts this week.

At the beginning of the year, I considered stepping away from the NSE, cashing in my gains and putting the money in a unit trust. But a conversation with a custody manager put me off this path. He said that with the management fees at unit trusts were too high for individuals, implying that individual investors not see significant gains unless the trust had exceptional returns.

Certainly any investor familiar with the myriad Kenyan and African investment blogs and sites such as Cold Tusker, First Global Select, Kenya Capital Investments, Mwasjad, Nairobist, Outfoxed, Pesa Tu, Riba Capital, Stockskenya, Odeglenyang, Investing In Africa, Kenyan Entrepreneur, Hisagal, Gathinga – could be more informed as any unit trust investor.

Unit trusts

Approved Collective Investment Schemes in Kenya are:

1. African Alliance Kenya Unit Trust Scheme: Kenya Shilling Fund, Kenya Fixed Income Fund, Kenya Managed Fund
2. Old Mutual Unit Trust Scheme : Equity Fund, Money Market Fund, Balanced Fund
3. British American Unit Trust Scheme : Money Market Fund, Income Fund, Balanced Fund, Managed Retirement Fund, Equity Fund
4. Stanbic Unit Trust Scheme: Money Market Fund, Flexible Income Fund, Managed Prudential Fund
5. Commercial Bank of Africa Unit Trust Scheme: Money Market Fund, Equity Fund