CBAFKENX11-character variant (head office):
CBAFKENXXXX| Bank code | Country | Location |
|---|---|---|
| CBAF | KE | NX |
| NCBA | KE (Kenya) | Nairobi |
An 11-character variant like CBAFKENXXXX also indicates the head office — the trailing 'XXX' is the default. Codes ending in different sequences (e.g. 'CBAFKENX001') refer to specific branches.
NCBA Bank Kenya was formed in 2019 from the merger of NIC Bank and Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA), creating one of Kenya's largest tier-1 banks by assets. The legacy bank-code prefix CBAF (from Commercial Bank of Africa) is retained in the SWIFT code CBAFKENX, even after the rebrand — a common pattern at recently-merged banks since SWIFT-network identifier changes are administratively expensive. NCBA operates around 100 branches in Kenya plus subsidiaries in Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Côte d'Ivoire. The bank is best known for its M-Shwari partnership with Safaricom, which provides mobile-money savings and loan products integrated with M-Pesa. Long form: CBAFKENXXXX.
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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 NCBA, your sending bank needs this code (CBAFKENX) to route the payment message through correspondent banks to NCBA Bank 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 CBAFKENX + 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 NCBA, 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 CBAFKENXXXX), 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.
NCBA Bank Kenya's SWIFT/BIC code is CBAFKENX. 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 NCBA's code referenced under either name on different financial platforms.
Yes. For an international wire to reach your NCBA account, the sender needs SWIFT code CBAFKENX AND your account number. Some sending banks also request the recipient bank's full address (NCBA Centre, Mara and Ragati Road, Upper Hill, Nairobi).
Typically 1 to 5 business days. The timing depends on the intermediary (correspondent) banks between the sending bank and NCBA. 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: NCBA'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.