The KCB–Airtel Money partnership is the real proof that Kenya's biggest financial players are racing to control where your money moves. In the deal, Airtel gets instant access to over 22,000 KCB agents without spending billions building its own network.

KCB gains access to millions of Airtel customers who could later be sold loans, savings products, insurance, and other banking services. The real prize isn't convenience.

Its customers.

It's transaction fees.

It's financial data.

It's market share.

If these partnerships are truly about financial inclusion, why do millions still struggle with expensive loans, high transaction charges, and limited access to affordable credit?

Perhaps "financial inclusion" has become the corporate-friendly name for customer acquisition.

The public is sold the convenience card. The corporations see revenue. And somewhere in the middle sits the Kenyan consumer