Equity Group Holdings Chief Executive Officer James Mwangi has been awarded a KSh90.8 million (Sh90m) bonus after steering the lender to a record-breaking financial performance for the year ended December 2025, cementing its position as Kenya’s most profitable company.
The performance-linked bonus pushed Mwangi’s total annual remuneration to approximately KSh275.7 million, marking a 65.8 percent increase from the previous year and the first time his compensation has crossed the KSh200 million mark.
Equity Group reported a net profit of about KSh71.9 billion to KSh75.5 billion, representing a growth of over 50 percent compared to 2024. The strong earnings saw the bank outperform major competitors including KCB Group and telecom giant Safaricom.
The bonus—Mwangi’s largest to date—reflects Equity’s compensation policy, which ties executive pay to performance indicators such as profitability, growth, and shareholder returns. His previous highest bonus stood at KSh53 million in 2022, underlining the scale of the latest reward.
Beyond salary and bonuses, Mwangi is also set to benefit significantly from dividends due to his shareholding in the bank. He is expected to earn about KSh734.9 million after Equity increased its dividend payout to KSh5.75 per share, subject to shareholder approval.
The lender’s strong financial performance has been attributed to regional expansion and diversification across East and Central Africa, with subsidiaries contributing significantly to overall profitability.
However, the scale of executive compensation has sparked debate in some quarters, particularly amid broader economic pressures facing consumers. Even so, investors largely view such incentives as necessary to retain top leadership and sustain growth momentum.
Equity’s results highlight the resilience of the banking sector, with rising profits translating into higher shareholder returns and improved executive pay, signaling a robust outlook for the region’s financial industry.