The Credit Information Sharing Association of Kenya (CIS Kenya) has launched the ValiData Tool, a system designed to raise the quality of credit information shared across the country’s financial sector.
The unveiling brought together top players from banking, microfinance, SACCOs, and digital lending.
The tool, approved by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), allows financial institutions to validate their credit records before forwarding them to Credit Reference Bureaus (CRBs).
Acting as a filter, it sets a minimum threshold of 80 percent data quality, ensuring that only accurate and standardized information enters the credit reporting system.
According to CIS Kenya CEO Jared Getenga, the new solution is the result of more than a decade of work. He said it shifts responsibility for data quality back to lenders, helping them take ownership of the information they provide.
Kenya Bankers Association CEO Raimond Molenje welcomed the move, describing the tool as a key driver of risk-based credit pricing. He noted that accurate data would result in fairer loan rates, particularly for first-time borrowers and small businesses run by women and youth.
CIS Kenya’s Head of Communications and Partnerships, Adah Mukubi, emphasized that the launch reflects teamwork and a broader commitment to building a more transparent and inclusive credit ecosystem.
The rollout will begin with commercial and microfinance banks, which will now be required to submit credit information through the platform. Digital lenders and SACCOs are expected to join in the next phase.
Creditinfo Group CEO Kamau Kunyiha, speaking on behalf of the CRBs, said the tool would make credit scoring more reliable by cleaning and standardizing data at the point of submission.
The initiative was developed in partnership with the Central Bank of Kenya, the National Treasury, the Office of the Data Commissioner, FSD Kenya, the Gates Foundation, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
The launch event also included a live demonstration, with NCBA Bank and Branch International submitting data in real time to all three licensed CRBs.
A panel discussion followed under the theme “From Credit Information to Information for Credit The Role of Data Quality,” featuring representatives from the CRBs, the Kenya Bankers Association, and Juliet Ongwae of the University of Cambridge Suptech Lab.
