Kenyan Central Bank Moves to Vet VASP Applications With 4 Hires

Key Takeaways:

• CBK opened recruitment for 4 VASP oversight roles following the passage of the 2025 VASP Act.
• The recruitment signals that the CBK aims to professionalize and stabilize Kenya’s growing crypto market.
• A 13-member committee will manage the VASP regime after the rules are gazetted.

Defining Key Management Roles

The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has opened recruitment for senior and managerial positions to oversee licensing and compliance for virtual asset service providers (VASPs), signaling its intent to operationalize crypto regulation before the final rulebook is in place.

The regulator posted four vacancies within its Digital Payment Services Division, all closing May 18. The roles span licensing, product approval, and compliance oversight—marking the first time the CBK has advertised positions dedicated specifically to VASP supervision.

A manager-level hire will lead the licensing function, reviewing applications, recommending approvals or rejections, and developing standard operating procedures for the new regime. Two deputy managers will handle licensing and product approval, and compliance oversight, respectively. Their duties include risk-based supervision of licensed VASPs, anti-money laundering (AML) checks, cybersecurity assessments, and enforcement of licensing conditions. A senior business analyst will round out the team, focusing on application review and regulatory guidance for applicants.

The recruitment drive comes seven months after Kenya’s parliament passed the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act in October 2025, establishing the country’s first legal framework for crypto oversight. Under the law, the CBK will regulate virtual assets used for payments, a market where crypto-linked remittances and mobile money integrations have steadily expanded.

However, the subordinate regulations needed to operationalize the act remain pending. The National Treasury drafted the VASP regulations in March and opened them for public comment until April 10. The draft proposes a 13-member interagency coordination committee—including the CBK, the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), the Financial Reporting Centre (FRC), and the National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee (NC4)—to manage oversight across diverse use cases.

With the comment period closed and gazettement still awaited, the CBK’s hiring suggests it is building internal capacity ahead of implementation. All four roles require backgrounds in payments, banking, financial services, or law, with senior positions demanding expertise in AML, counter-terrorism financing, and international VASP standards.