Strengthening banking resilience: A comparative assessment of capital requirements in Ghana and Kenya

Ghana: Bank capital requirements and sector position Ghana’s banking sector underwent a major clean-up and recapitalisation cycle in the late 2010s, during which the Bank of Ghana increased the minimum paid-up capital requirement for universal banks to GH¢400 million.

Kenya’s current reform agenda is centred on raising the absolute minimum core capital level for commercial banks, a move expected to reshape the competitive structure of the banking sector.

In both Ghana and Kenya, recent capital reforms are linked to broader financial stability objectives, including depositor protection, improved governance, better risk management, and the capacity of banks to support economic growth without creating excessive systemic vulnerability.