DTB H1 2026 Profit Jumps 37% to KSh 9.8 Billion

In Short

• DTB reported a 37% year-on-year jump in H1 2026 pre-tax profit to KSh 9.8 billion.
• Customer numbers rose to 5.9 million across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, up 44%.
• The group says 99% of new customers were onboarded via digital channels, and 86% of transactions ran digitally.

What Happened

Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) released its half-year results for the period ended 30 June 2026, reporting pre-tax profit of KSh 9.8 billion. That was up 37% from the same period last year.

Management attributed the performance to what it called turnaround initiatives, including a focus on retail, SMEs, and corporate banking. SME means small and medium-sized enterprises, which are everyday businesses like shops, distributors, and service firms.

DTB said its customer base reached 5.9 million across East Africa, up 44% over 12 months. It also pointed to branch growth and said it plans to open its 100th branch in Kenya by Christmas 2026, taking its total network to 163 branches across the region.

Financially, DTB reported total assets of KSh 675 billion, up more than 10%. Customer deposits rose 11% to KSh 534 billion, while loans and advances grew 14% to KSh 328 billion.

On credit quality, DTB said its non-performing loan ratio fell to 11.6% from 13.0%. Non-performing loans are loans that borrowers are struggling to repay.

Why It Matters

DTB’s results show how traditional banks in East Africa are leaning harder on digital distribution. The group says nearly all new customer onboarding happened online, which can lower costs and speed up growth.

The bank also said it disbursed KSh 10 billion in digital loans over the past six months to retail and MSME customers. That matters because working capital is a common bottleneck for small businesses.

DTB also signaled more automation plans, including robotic process automation, which is software that handles repetitive back-office tasks like a virtual clerk. It also mentioned “agentic” AI, which refers to AI systems that can take actions on tasks, not just answer questions. If executed well, these tools could improve customer support, compliance checks, and operational efficiency, but they will also raise questions about governance and risk controls in banking tech.