CITIKENA11-character variant (head office):
CITIKENAXXX| Bank code | Country | Location |
|---|---|---|
| CITI | KE | NA |
| Citi Kenya | KE (Kenya) | Nairobi |
An 11-character variant like CITIKENAXXX also indicates the head office — the trailing 'XXX' is the default. Codes ending in different sequences (e.g. 'CITIKENA001') refer to specific branches.
Citibank Kenya, founded in Kenya in 1974, is the Kenyan branch of the global Citigroup Inc. (Citi) network. Unlike most Citi presences in Africa, Citibank Kenya operates as a full subsidiary with a small branch footprint (3-4 branches) and focuses exclusively on corporate, institutional, and treasury clients — Citi does not offer retail banking in Kenya. The bank is a key correspondent-banking node for inbound USD wires from North America and is often the chosen settlement bank for institutional flows. SWIFT code CITIKENA mirrors the Citi group's global CITI bank-code prefix and identifies the Upper Hill, Nairobi head office. Long form: CITIKENAXXX. Diaspora retail senders should not use this code.
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SWIFT and BIC are two names for the same identifier: an 8 or 11-character code standardised by ISO 9362 that identifies a bank in the SWIFT payment network. For a wire to Citi Kenya, your sending bank needs this code (CITIKENA) to route the payment message through correspondent banks to Citibank Kenya in Nairobi.
An IBAN, by contrast, identifies a specific bank account — not the institution. IBANs are mandatory in the European Economic Area, the UK, most of the Middle East, and several African countries (but Kenya does not use IBANs universally). For most wires to Kenya, you will supply SWIFT code CITIKENA + the recipient's account number, not an IBAN.
UK sort codes (6 digits) and US routing numbers (9 digits) are domestic-only equivalents — they do not work for international wires. If a US-based sender wants to wire to Citi Kenya, they need the SWIFT code, not the US routing number of the correspondent bank (although their bank may use the routing number internally to route their side of the wire).
One final technical detail on the 11-character form: the last three characters identify a specific branch. When they read 'XXX' (as in CITIKENAXXX), they conventionally designate the head office itself. Most international wires use either the 8-character form or the 11-character form with XXX; unless your recipient explicitly tells you otherwise, that is the right choice.
Citibank Kenya's SWIFT/BIC code is CITIKENA. This 8-character code identifies the bank's Nairobi head office for international wire transfers.
Yes. SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) and BIC (Business Identifier Code) are two names for the same 8 or 11-character identifier standardised by ISO 9362. You will see Citi Kenya's code referenced under either name on different financial platforms.
Yes. For an international wire to reach your Citi Kenya account, the sender needs SWIFT code CITIKENA AND your account number. Some sending banks also request the recipient bank's full address (Citibank House, 16 Upper Hill Road, Nairobi).
Typically 1 to 5 business days. The timing depends on the intermediary (correspondent) banks between the sending bank and Citi Kenya. Wires from major global banks (HSBC, Barclays, JPMorgan, Citi) usually clear fastest.
For smaller amounts to Kenya, operators such as Wise, LemFi, Sendwave, and TapTap Send typically offer a rate closer to mid-market and lower fees than a classic SWIFT bank wire. See our Kenya inbound corridor comparison for side-by-side pricing.
Source: Citi Kenya's official website + Wise SWIFT directory. Last verified: 2026-06-04. SWIFT codes change rarely but always confirm with your bank before initiating a transfer. Educational only — not financial advice.