Compare personal loans in Kenya

By the Rateweb editorial team · How we rate · Product details checked 26 Jul 2026

Compare licensed lenders on the TOTAL amount you'll repay — never a headline daily rate. The instant app and mobile loans below are genuinely fast, but their short-term fees annualise to very high effective rates, so they suit bridges, not habits. The state Hustler Fund is far cheaper for small amounts; a SACCO or bank loan is usually cheaper when you can plan ahead. Every lender must appear on a Central Bank of Kenya register (banks, microfinance banks, or the Digital Credit Provider register) — if it doesn't, don't borrow. All of these report to the credit bureaus. Figures are the providers' published patterns as at July 2026 — read the exact cost in the app before accepting.

⭐ Ratings & awards are Rateweb's independent editorial opinion — how we rate.

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6 results
Cheapest small credit

Hustler Fund

The government's micro-credit scheme — by far the cheapest small, short loan available to most Kenyans. Dial *254#; 5% of each loan is diverted to savings.
★★★★☆
4.2/5 · How we rate
KSh 500 – KSh 50,000 (grows with repayment history)
Amounts
14 days
Term
8% per year (pro-rated) — a fraction of app-loan cost; late = ~9.5%/yr on the overdue balance
Cost
Dial *254# (M-Pesa / Airtel Money / T-Kash)
Access
5% of each loan goes to compulsory savings (95% to your phone)
Note
small
Amount Tier
Pros
  • By far the cheapest small, short credit
  • Builds a repayment record
  • Auto-enrols you into saving
Cons
  • Small limits and a short 14-day term
  • Government product — terms change by notice
  • Reports to CRBs like any lender
Read our Hustler Fund guide Full details & review →
Flexible term

KCB M-Pesa

KCB's instant loan inside M-Pesa — a flexible-term middle ground between a Fuliza overdraft and an app loan, from a big licensed bank.
★★★★☆
4.0/5 · How we rate
KSh 50 – KSh 250,000
Amounts
7 – 90 days (more flexible than an overdraft)
Term
Around 9.06% per 30 days — confirm the current facility fee
Cost
Dial *522# on Safaricom
Access
KCB (CBK-licensed bank) × Safaricom
Provider
large
Amount Tier
Pros
  • Flexible 7–90 day term
  • Higher limits than most app loans
  • Backed by a licensed bank
Cons
  • Bank-mobile-loan pricing (not the cheapest)
  • Safaricom line required
  • Reports to CRBs
Read our KCB review Full details & review →

M-Shwari (loan)

The instant loan inside M-Pesa from NCBA and Safaricom — a one-off facility fee rather than a monthly rate, cheap over 30 days and expensive if rolled.
★★★★☆
4.0/5 · How we rate
KSh 100 – KSh 1,000,000 (limit grows with usage)
Amounts
One-off facility fee ~7.5% + 1.5% excise, deducted upfront
Cost
Dial *334# on Safaricom (6+ months active M-Pesa)
Access
NCBA (CBK-licensed bank) × Safaricom
Provider
large
Amount Tier
Pros
  • Instant, inside M-Pesa
  • Regulated bank product
  • Cheap if cleared within the period
Cons
  • Expensive if rolled repeatedly
  • Safaricom-only
  • Reports to CRBs
Read our M-Shwari review Full details & review →
Fast + licensed

Tala

A CBK-licensed digital lender (DCP since Jan 2023) — money on M-Pesa in minutes, no paperwork. Genuinely fast and legitimate, but expensive if carried: small and repaid quickly is the only sane use.
★★★★☆
4.0/5 · How we rate
Up to about KSh 50,000 (grows with repayment)
Amounts
From ~0.3%/day — annualises very high on longer/rolled loans
Cost
Minutes to M-Pesa; one active loan at a time
Speed
CBK Digital Credit Provider register
Licence
small
Amount Tier
Pros
  • Fast, paperwork-free, CBK-licensed
  • Limits grow with on-time repayment
  • Transparent terms
Cons
  • Very expensive if carried — bridges only
  • One loan at a time
  • Reports to all three CRBs
Read our Tala review Full details & review →

Branch

Now a CBK-licensed microfinance bank (a higher bar than a loan-app DCP licence), offering fast app lending plus regulated savings. Same category economics on the loan — cheap short, costly if carried.
★★★★☆
4.0/5 · How we rate
App-set, grow with repayment history
Amounts
Category-standard flat fee — read the exact quote in-app
Cost
Minutes to M-Pesa
Speed
CBK-licensed microfinance bank
Licence
small
Amount Tier
Pros
  • Bank-grade licence (above a plain DCP)
  • Fast lending plus savings in one app
  • Limits grow with repayment
Cons
  • Loan cost still category-standard
  • Reports to CRBs
  • Savings rate below a dedicated MMF
Read our Branch review Full details & review →
Overdraft only

Fuliza

M-Pesa's overdraft — it completes a payment when you're short and repays from your next inflow. A daily maintenance fee, not an interest rate: fine for hours or a day, expensive carried for weeks.
★★★★☆
3.7/5 · How we rate
M-Pesa overdraft (NCBA/KCB-underwritten)
What It Is
1% access fee + tiered daily maintenance fee + 20% excise on the fee
Cost
Automatic from your next M-Pesa inflow
Repayment
Bridging hours/days, not funding weeks
Best For
small
Amount Tier
Pros
  • Instant — completes a payment automatically
  • No application
  • Cheap if cleared same/next day
Cons
  • Daily fee compounds into expensive short credit
  • Next inflow is spoken for
  • Not for anything beyond a bridge
Read our Fuliza guide Full details & review →

Ratings are Rateweb's editorial opinion. Product details can change — always confirm with the provider before applying. Rateweb may earn a commission on some applications. This is general information, not financial advice.