More Kenyans are now speaking out about their experiences with NCBA, with fresh social media comments painting a bank praised by some for quick approvals but accused by others of being ruthless once a borrower falls behind on payments.

The debate started after a Facebook user asked whether NCBA is good when it comes to financing, a question that quickly opened the floodgates as customers and former customers shared mixed experiences, especially around asset financing, car loans, repossessions, interest rates, recovery fees and customer care.

While some users described NCBA as efficient and easy to work with, a louder and more detailed section of the comments raised concerns that the bank’s financing model becomes unforgiving the moment a borrower misses or delays payment.

One user claimed that NCBA will approve financing easily, but warned that the grace period is very short once the asset becomes a repossession target.

“Hawasumbui kuapprove loan lakini you only have a two weeks grace period,” the user wrote, adding that if it is an asset to repossess and auction, the process moves “like a blink of an eye.”

Another user described NCBA as “Shylocks with a beautiful name,” a brutal comment that captured the mood among borrowers who feel the bank’s polished corporate image hides an aggressive recovery culture.

The most serious complaints were around car loans, where several users claimed NCBA moves very fast to repossess vehicles once repayments delay, with some saying borrowers must have a solid backup plan before taking asset financing from the bank.

One commenter said NCBA is good only if a borrower has a stable income, but warned that the bank does not delay when it comes to repossessing property.

“They are very good but make sure you have a stable source of income because hawachelewi to repossess your property,” the user wrote, while still admitting that NCBA financed them when other banks declined.

Another user gave a more personal account, claiming that they delayed a car loan payment by only ten days after informing the bank that they had an inconvenience that month, only for an auctioneer to allegedly show up, forcing them to pay the arrears together with a recovery fee of Sh24,000.

The same user claimed that even after clearing the debt, they continued struggling with the logbook transfer process and waited almost fifteen months to get the logbook, describing the experience as painful and frustrating.

That kind of complaint is what makes NCBA’s asset financing debate bigger than ordinary customer dissatisfaction, because borrowers are not just complaining about interest rates or delays, but about a system where missing a payment can quickly trigger auctioneers, recovery fees and long struggles over ownership documents.

Another commenter said NCBA is “good lakini ku repo, hio nayo hawachelewi,” claiming that the bank almost repossessed a neighbour’s truck before quick intervention, and warning borrowers to only take such loans when they have a solid backup plan.

Others complained about the cost of borrowing, with one user saying NCBA’s loans are expensive compared to banks like Co-operative Bank and Family Bank, while another complained that the interest can exceed the loan instalment, especially on unsecured lending.

“Unless you want a slow death, especially unsecured loan, please don’t,” one user wrote, claiming that the interest had become heavier than the instalment itself.

The complaints were not limited to asset finance alone, as other users raised issues around relationship managers, customer care and account support.

One customer claimed NCBA is only good when everything is smooth, but when problems begin, the experience changes, saying they were assigned a relationship manager who allegedly never responded to calls, emails or texts.

Another user said NCBA is excellent in ordinary banking but expensive when it comes to loans, while another said the bank does not value clients when they need assistance.

The comments also showed why NCBA’s reputation is complicated, because there were still users defending the bank, calling it efficient, the best bank and good for financing.

Some praised the bank for quick approvals, reminders before monthly deductions and willingness to finance customers who had been rejected elsewhere.

That mixed reaction is exactly where the issue sits.

NCBA appears to have built a strong name in asset finance by approving borrowers and supporting vehicle purchases, but the social media reactions suggest that many customers feel the bank becomes too aggressive once repayment pressure begins.

For a borrower who pays smoothly, NCBA may look efficient.

For a borrower who delays, even briefly, the same efficiency may feel like a recovery machine.

The wider concern is that asset financing is not just a loan on paper, because the customer’s car, truck or equipment becomes the pressure point, and once auctioneers, recovery fees and logbook disputes enter the picture, borrowers can feel trapped inside a system where the bank holds most of the power.

The latest comments now add to growing public scrutiny of NCBA’s lending culture, with customers openly asking whether the bank’s asset financing business is genuinely supportive to borrowers or simply too quick to turn financial distress into repossession and resale.

For NCBA, the online backlash should not be dismissed as noise, because these are the exact conversations that shape public trust in banks.

When borrowers repeatedly describe fear of repossession, high recovery costs, poor follow up and expensive credit, the issue stops being about one angry customer and becomes a reputational problem.

The question now is no longer whether NCBA can approve financing quickly.

The question is what happens to borrowers when things go wrong.