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NCBA executive Tirus Mwithiga takes CEO role at CIB Kenya
NCBA Group Director of corporate and investment banking Tirus Mwithiga is set to take over as CEO at Commercial International Bank (CIB) Kenya in February 2026.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
NCBA Group Director of corporate and investment banking Tirus Mwithiga is set to take over as chief executive officer at Commercial International Bank (CIB) Kenya starting next month, marking the second time a smaller institution has recruited a leader that has worked at the Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed firm.
Mr Mwithiga, whose appointment will need to be approved by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) and the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), replaces Abhinav Nehra who has held the post for one year since his appointment in January 2025.
Mortgage financier HF Group on March 1, 2019 appointed Robert Kibaara, a former director of retail banking at NCBA (then trading as NIC), as its chief executive.
CIB Kenya said on Thursday that it will bank on Mr Mwithiga’s leadership skills and market insights to advance its local strategic objectives, as well as support the lender’s projected growth.
“CIB Kenya Limited is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Tirus Mwithiga as Chief Executive Officer. His appointment will commence in February 2026, subject to regulatory approval from the CBK and the Central Bank of Egypt CBE,” said the bank in a statement.
“CIB is confident that Mr Mwithiga’s experience, leadership skills, and market insights will play a significant role in advancing CIB Kenya’s strategic objectives and supporting the bank’s continued growth and success.”
CIB Kenya is a subsidiary of Egyptian banking multinational CIB Egypt.
The appointment of Mr Mwithiga continues the trend where small and medium-sized banks are poaching executives from large banks. SBM Bank, for instance, on May 8, 2024 appointed former I&M Group chief operating officer Bhartesh Shah as its new chief executive.
The chief executives of the big banks have been in place for many years, resulting in their ambitious associates leaving to helm smaller institutions in career growth moves.
Mr Mwithiga boasts more than 35 years of experience in banking, holding senior positions across retail and corporate operations in Kenyan and regional financial institutions, as well as stints in Singapore.
He is a chartered banker and holds a Master of Business Administration from Bangor University in the United Kingdom.
CIB Kenya’s says it expects the new CEO to guide it through operational challenges, strengthen management practices, and support growth.
“As CIB Kenya commences its current phase of strategic execution, the appointment of new executive leadership reflects the bank’s focus on strengthening management capacity to deliver its strategic priorities and support sustainable growth," the lender said.
