The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has marked its 60th anniversary by opening a week of high-level engagements in Nairobi that bring together African central bank governors, financial regulators, commercial banks, researchers and global experts.
CBK was established on September 14, 1966, and is observing its Diamond Jubilee alongside the 2026 Annual Meetings of the Association of African Central Banks (AACB) and the inaugural Artificial Intelligence (AI) Conference.
Central Bank of Kenya’s Diamond Jubilee and regional meetings
Kenya is hosting the AACB Annual Meetings from September 13 to 18 at the CBK Institute of Monetary Studies in Nairobi. The programme will conclude with the Assembly of Governors and a tree-planting exercise involving visiting governors. President William Ruto is expected to serve as chief guest at the September 17 gala dinner, part of the anniversary celebrations.
AI Conference to examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping finance
Scheduled for September 16, the AI Conference will examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping the financial sector, with discussions expected to focus on its responsible use in monetary policy, financial regulation and supervision, financial stability and data analytics.
The following day, the AACB Governors Symposium will address a wider continental issue under the theme “African Monetary Integration and Financial Sovereignty: Strategic Perspectives in Reducing the Continent’s Dependence on International Institutions.”
Altogether, the anniversary comes with a policy-heavy agenda, placing CBK’s six-decade history alongside two pressing questions for the financial sector: how African monetary institutions can strengthen their independence, and how central banks should manage the opportunities and risks created by AI.
By Khayoyo Ian
