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This study examined the relationship between corporate governance and the financial performance of insurance firms in Kenya over the period 2013-2018. The data were collected from 51 Insurance firms licensed to operate in Kenya as of 31 December 2018. Regression analysis was used and the results showed that corporate governance significantly affects the financial performance of insurance firms. In particular, the findings showed that board composition negatively and significantly affects financial performance. This implied that insurance firms with a bigger ratio of non-executive directors do not perform better than those with a less proportion of non-executive directors. Insurance firms should therefore reduce the ratio of non-executive directors in order to achieve better performance. The results also showed that board diversity positively and significantly affects financial performance. This implied that insurance firms with a bigger ratio of professional directors perform better than the firms with less proportion of professional directors to the board. Insurance firms should therefore engage more professional directors in order to provide professional guidance and enhance financial performance. The findings also indicated that board independence positively and significantly affects financial performance. This implied that firms with a bigger ratio of independent directors perform better than those with a smaller proportion of ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to establish the effect of real interest rates, exchange rate, inflation and competitiveness on FDI in Kenya.  Methodology: The study used annual time series data for the period 1970-2016. The sources of data included World Bank Indicators and Kenya National Bureau of Statistics annual reports. Data was collected for the variables real interest rates, exchange rates, inflation rate, competitiveness/ease of doing business and FDI. The data for all the variables was in percentage. The study employed ordinary least square regression technique to determine the effect of real interest rate, exchange rate, inflation and competitiveness on FDI in Kenya. Results: From the findings, the study concluded that real interest rates and exchange rates have negative and significant influence on FDI inflows into Kenya. Further, the study concluded that competitiveness has a positive and significant influence on foreign direct investment inflows into Kenya. However, inflation was found to have insignificant influence on FDI.Unique Contribution to Policy: There is need for favourable interest rates, desirable exchange rates and liberalization of the economy by undertaking comprehensive programmes to trade reforms, designed to open the economy and increase its competiveness. The Kenyan government should also encourage freedom of capital transactions with foreigners and competition in domestic market.

PurposeThe study aims to analyze the effect of financial soundness on financial performance of commercial banks in Kenya.Design/methodology/approachThe study used dynamic panel model to analyze data from commercial banks for the period 2009 to 2020. The study was modeled on the concept of CAMEL approach using five CAMEL variables as financial soundness indicators. Four indicators that is, net interest margin (NIM), earnings per share (EPS), return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) were used as measures of financial performance.FindingsGeneralized method of moments results established that financial soundness had a statistically significant effect on NIM, ROA and ROE. It was also found that asset quality and earning quality had a statistically significant effect on net interest margin. In addition management efficiency had significant effect on ROE. However, the study established that capital adequacy, asset quality, earning quality and liquidity had a statistically insignificant effect on ROA and ROE respectively while capital adequacy, management efficiency and liquidity had statistically insignificant effect on NIM.Practical implicationsBank managers should put into place effective financial policies to govern changes in CAMEL variables to ensure optimal banks' financial soundness to facilitate positive growth in banks' financial performance.Originality/valueThe current study is modeled on the concept of the CAMEL approach by employing the five CAMEL variables as financial soundness indicators. In addition, the study contributes to local literature by examining banks in a developing economy to provide reliable and relevant information on their differences to monitor their dynamics in financial soundness and financial performance which could not be provided by regional or global studies.

The study examined the relationship between ownership structure and financial performance of commercial banks in Kenya for the period 2009–2020. The data were collected from audited financial statements of 39 commercial banks in Kenya. Regression results found strong evidence on ownership structures in explaining the differences in commercial banks’ financial performance. The results established that the greatest influence of ownership structures was on net interest margin at 53.04% and return on assets at 31.37%. Influence of ownership structures was found to be low on return on equity at 3.32% and earnings per share at 2.13%. The results found a negative association between state ownership and net interest margin, negative association between management ownership and both net interest margin and earnings per share, negative association between institutional ownership and return on assets and a negative association between foreign ownership and earnings per share. Based on the findings, commercial banks should vary their ownership structures to boost financial performance. Secondly, banks with high percentage of state ownership should consider partial privatization to improve corporate governance practices. Third, banks should adopt managerial ownership policy limiting the proportion of equity stock on executives to limit their powers in strategic decision making. Fourth, the study proposes a percentage limit on equity stock of an individual institutional investor. Lastly, the study proposes that bank’s management to come up with a policy detailing the role and place of foreign investors in strategic decision making to ensure their presence in every decision undertaken by bank managers.