I&M Group Plc has appointed former Absa Bank Kenya Chief Executive Officer Abdi Mohamed as the incoming Chief Executive Officer of I&M Bank Kenya, shortly after his departure from Absa Bank Kenya was announced.
Mohamed resigned from his role as Managing Director and CEO of Absa Bank Kenya effective June 30, ending a 32-year career at the lender where he spent the last three years as chief executive. His appointment at I&M Bank Kenya remains subject to regulatory approval from the Central Bank of Kenya.
He will succeed Gul Khan, who led I&M Bank Kenya from 2023 to 2026 before taking on broader responsibilities within the group following Kihara Maina’s move to a regional leadership position.
Mohamed joins I&M with more than three decades of banking experience across East and Southern Africa. During his tenure at Absa Bank Kenya, he oversaw the lender’s transition from the Barclays brand to Absa and led wider business transformation initiatives. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer at Barclays Bank Kenya and held senior retail and business banking leadership positions in Kenya and Zambia.
Outside banking, Mohamed is Chairman of the United Nations Global Compact Kenya Chapter and serves on the boards of Touch Health Inc. and Integrated Payment Systems Ltd.
The appointment comes as I&M continues efforts to strengthen its market position in Kenya’s banking sector. The group has a market value of approximately KES 108.76 billion ($844 million), making it the country’s seventh-largest listed bank by market capitalization. Absa Bank Kenya, Mohamed’s former employer, is valued at about KES 176.53 billion ($1.37 billion), ranking as the fourth-largest listed bank in Kenya after Equity Group, KCB Group and Co-operative Bank.
“We are delighted to welcome Abdi to I&M Group at an important time in our journey as we continue to scale our business, deepen customer relationships and strengthen our market position,” said Sarit Raja-Shah, Executive Director of I&M Group.
Mohamed’s appointment adds to a series of leadership changes across Kenya’s banking sector in 2026, with lenders including Family Bank, Commercial International Bank Kenya, Stanbic Bank Kenya, Standard Chartered Bank Kenya and Sidian Bank naming new chief executives as institutions pursue digital transformation and expansion strategies.