FABLKENA11-character variant (head office):
FABLKENAXXX| Bank code | Country | Location |
|---|---|---|
| FABL | KE | NA |
| Family Bank | KE (Kenya) | Nairobi |
An 11-character variant like FABLKENAXXX also indicates the head office — the trailing 'XXX' is the default. Codes ending in different sequences (e.g. 'FABLKENA001') refer to specific branches.
Family Bank, originally founded in 1984 as Family Finance Building Society, converted to a commercial bank in 2007 and has grown into one of Kenya's mid-sized tier-2 banks with around 90 branches across the country. The bank focuses on retail, SME, and microfinance lending with a strong upcountry presence. The correct SWIFT code is FABLKENA (not the variant FABKKENA that appears in some directories — verified June 2026 against Wise, TheSwiftCodes, bank.codes, and Remitly). The 11-character form FABLKENAXXX explicitly identifies the head office at Fourways Towers, Muindi Mbingu Street, Nairobi. Senders should always confirm the active code on the bank's own channel.
vs KES (Kenyan Shilling)
Compare international operators that can deposit to a Family Bank account through their banking partner network.
Wise is a MomoCalc affiliate partner — we may earn a commission if you open an account via this link, at no extra cost to you.
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 Family Bank, your sending bank needs this code (FABLKENA) to route the payment message through correspondent banks to Family Bank 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 FABLKENA + 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 Family Bank, 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 FABLKENAXXX), 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.
Family Bank's SWIFT/BIC code is FABLKENA. 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 Family Bank's code referenced under either name on different financial platforms.
Yes. For an international wire to reach your Family Bank account, the sender needs SWIFT code FABLKENA AND your account number. Some sending banks also request the recipient bank's full address (Fourways Towers, Muindi Mbingu Street, Nairobi).
Typically 1 to 5 business days. The timing depends on the intermediary (correspondent) banks between the sending bank and Family Bank. 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: Family Bank'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.