Stanbic Bank regional chief executive for East Africa Joshua Oigara has been elevated to head the lender’s parent firm Stanbic Holdings Plc, returning him to the helm of a listed banking group nearly four years after ending a nine-year tenure at KCB Group.
The appointment takes effect on March 1, 2026. Mr Oigara will head the holding company overseeing Stanbic’s banking, investment and insurance businesses in Kenya and South Sudan.
He replaces Patrick Mweheire, who retires on February 28, 2026, after six years in the role.
“The board is pleased to announce the appointment of Joshua Oigara as chief executive and director of Stanbic Holdings Plc, effective March 1, 2026. This appointment is subject to requisite regulatory approvals,” Stanbic Holdings said in a statement.
Mr Oigara joined Stanbic in late 2022 after leaving KCB Group, where he had served as chief executive since January 2013. He was appointed chief executive of Stanbic Bank Kenya in December 2022.
In that regional role, he supervised Stanbic’s businesses in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, South Sudan and Ethiopia, alongside leadership of the group’s investment banking arm, SBG Securities.
The new role marks a return to running a listed holding company. At KCB Group, he led the bank’s expansion across East and Central Africa before exiting in 2022 after serving the maximum term allowed under its governance framework.
He holds a Master of Business Administration in International Business Management from Edith Cowan University in Australia and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Nairobi.
Ecobank names Mbithi
His appointment comes a day after Ecobank Kenya named Rebecca Mbithi as managing director, effective February 9, 2026, replacing Josephine Anan-Ankomah, who will focus on her role as regional executive for the Central, Eastern and Southern Africa region.
Former Family Bank CEO Rebecca Mbithi speaks during a past event.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
Ms Mbithi is the former chief executive officer of Family Bank, a position she held for five years before leaving in November 2023.
“We are pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Rebecca Mbithi as Managing Director, Ecobank Kenya, effective 9th February 2026, subject to regulatory approval by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK),” Ecobank said in a statement on Wednesday.
Ms Mbithi holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the United States International University – Africa, a Global Chief Executive Officer programme certificate from Strathmore University and a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Nairobi.
