EDIT: Jan 27:  The Government has ordered an inquiry into Mwalimu National Sacco’s bid to acquire Equatorial Commercial Bank. The Commissioner of Co-operatives has appointed an inquiry team report to him following a protest by the Co-operative Alliance of Kenya (CAK) 

Last week, Mwalimu SACCO became  the majority shareholder of Equatorial Commercial Bank (ECB), acquiring  51% of the bank for Kshs 1.6 billion (~$18 million). The acquisition was cleared after no objections were received from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) and Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA). There was another objection, but not from any of the regulators, who were aware of the issues raised.

Mwalimu with Kshs 24.5 billion of assets (2013), acquired the stake in ECB,  the country’s 27th  largest bank (Kshs 15 billion) which has been boosted by an earlier merger with Southern Credit Bank. Mwalimu will have three (3) seats on the board of ECB, but the Society is not converting into a bank nor merging with ECB. Due diligence of the financial and legal processes was done by Ernst and Young and Mose & Mose Advocates.

This comes two years after the LAPTrust, a pension scheme and the Kenya Tea Development Agency acquired a combined 22% stake in Family Bank – and LAPTrust estimated their stake was worth 1.6 billion in 2013, just two years after paying a 1/4 of that amount.