The Housing Finance Group of Kenya (HF Group) reportedly became the first major bank in the country to employ WhatsApp to offer customised banking services, local media stated.

CEO Robert Kibaara explained millions of Kenyans use the messaging platform, opening the door for HF Group to improve customer experience with more personal and intuitive interactions, news channel KBC reported.

The executive noted WhatsApp simplifies communication, with customers only needing to add HF Group’s phone number to the app to establish a link.

In a related article, CapitalFM explained the bank will use WhatsApp to offer services including opening accounts, transfers, loans, paying bills and purchasing goods. HF Group will employ AI to keep the WhatsApp banking service relevant, Kibaara added.

CapitalFM noted mobile phone penetration in Kenya stands at 91 per cent, citing figures from e-commerce company Jumia showing 74 per cent of the population use WhatsApp.