Kenswitch is expanding its role in Kenya’s payments ecosystem with the launch of the Kenswitch Card, a domestic card proposition designed specifically for the Kenyan market. The move takes the company beyond its established role as a shared payments infrastructure provider and into the card-scheme space, with a focus on domestic transactions, local settlement and broader interoperability.
The new proposition is built to support payments across Kenya while connecting financial institutions to a locally focused card infrastructure. According to Kenswitch, the scheme is designed to support domestic payments and settlement, acceptance across ATMs, point-of-sale terminals, agents and e-commerce platforms, as well as competitive economics for financial institutions issuing the cards.
The development comes as Kenya’s payments market continues to evolve beyond traditional physical banking cards. Mobile money has become deeply embedded in everyday transactions, while digital wallets, contactless payments and tokenisation are creating new ways for consumers to pay. Kenswitch’s latest move positions cards as another component of this increasingly interconnected ecosystem.
A key part of the strategy is interoperability. Kenswitch says its network currently connects more than 30 institutions and gives customers access to more than 2,500 ATMs, 50,000 agents and 40,000 point-of-sale terminals. The domestic card proposition could therefore allow participating institutions to leverage infrastructure that already operates across multiple payment channels.
The company is also linking the card launch to developments in digital issuance and contactless payments. At its September 22 Digital Issuance Unlocked event, Kenswitch, together with technology partners TaiFintech and Stanchion Payment Solutions, demonstrated digital card issuance, tokenisation and Tap2Pay capabilities. The demonstrations highlighted how cards can increasingly exist as digital credentials rather than only physical plastic.
This creates an opportunity for Kenyan financial institutions to develop card products that combine domestic payment infrastructure with newer digital experiences. Tokenisation, for example, can allow card credentials to be securely represented in digital wallets, while Tap2Pay can support contactless transactions through compatible devices.
Kenswitch’s entry also comes against a backdrop of Kenya’s long-standing dependence on international card networks. Visa and Mastercard have played significant roles in the country’s card market, while Kenswitch has historically provided domestic switching and interoperability services. Earlier in 2026, Kenswitch signed a framework agreement with Visa focused on payment innovation, merchant acceptance and strengthening Kenya’s domestic payment processing and settlement ecosystem.
The new domestic scheme does not necessarily replace international card networks. Instead, it adds another infrastructure option for institutions and customers, particularly for transactions that begin and end within Kenya.
For financial institutions, the proposition could also provide greater flexibility over how domestic transactions are processed and settled. For consumers and merchants, its potential value will depend on how widely the card is issued, where it is accepted and how seamlessly it works across existing payment channels.
With Kenswitch now moving from switching infrastructure into domestic card services, Kenya’s payments landscape is entering another phase of development—one where local infrastructure, digital issuance, tokenisation and contactless technology increasingly converge.
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