Absa Bank Kenya Chief People Officer Mumbi Kahindo (3rd from right) leads the Absa team in receiving the Top Employer Award for the fifth year running.
The County Diary News
Nairobi, 15 January 2026: For the fifth consecutive year, Absa Bank Kenya has been recognised as a Top Employer for 2026 by the Top Employers Institute (TEI), following an independent assessment of its people practices across critical human capital parameters. The Certification demonstrates Absa's ability to create a high-performing workplace through data-driven people strategies, independent validation, and a clear focus on practices that deliver employee engagement and business growth.
In addition to Kenya, the recognition as a top employer was awarded to Absa Group operations in Botswana, Ghana, South Africa, Zambia, and Mauritius. Absa achieved an overall group score of 93.66%, an increase from 90.15% in 2025 and materially above the global benchmark of 85.9%. All markets recorded overall scores above 87%, with Kenya improving by 4.94 percentage points when compared to last year’s ranking. Achieving the certification across all six markets underscores the effectiveness of Absa’s approach to human capital management within the financial services sector in Africa, as assessed against international standards.
Active in 125 countries/regions, Top Employers Institute is the global authority in HR certification, benchmarking and advisory. Its Programme certifies organisations based on the results of its HR Best Practices Survey which covers six domains including People Strategy, Work Environment, Talent Acquisition, Learning, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Wellbeing.
Speaking about the recognition, Absa Bank Kenya Managing Director and CEO, Abdi Mohamed said: “This recognition reflects the dedication, passion, and resilience of our people who make Absa a truly exceptional place to work across Kenya and Africa. It’s a proud moment that celebrates our culture, teamwork, and unwavering commitment to putting our colleagues at the heart of everything we do.”
During the assessment, a notable outcome was Absa’s achievement of full scores of 100% in Business Strategy, Leadership, and Performance, demonstrating a high degree of consistency in how strategy is translated into leadership practice and organisational performance. Strong results were also recorded in Ethics and Integrity, with Absa achieving a score of 99.49%, outperforming the global benchmark by 1.45% and the industry benchmark by nearly 2%.
The Work Environment score rose to 98.41%, positioning Absa more than 10% above the global benchmark and almost 8% above the industry benchmark. The largest year-on-year gains were recorded in offboarding (+18%), diversity, equity and inclusion (+11.34%), rewards and recognition (+8.78%), sustainability (+7.35%), and employer branding (+5.28%).
“The way people think about work is fundamentally changing, and this shift is redefining the relationship between employers and employees. Being recognised for the fifth consecutive year gives us a clear line of sight into how our culture and people practices have evolved over time. It’s a testament to our collective effort, teamwork, and resilience,” said Mumbi Kahindo, the Chief People Officer at Absa Kenya.
The progress seen in this year’s assessment has been underpinned by a more deliberate and data-led approach to understanding the employee experience. Absa continues to strengthen how it listens to its people, introducing more robust benchmarking and analytics that provide deeper insight into trust and engagement across the organisation. This has enabled more focused intervention where it matters most, supporting improvements across the employee lifecycle and reinforcing a culture of openness and accountability.
“Aligning to our group strategy, we continue to strive to be customer obsessed, equipping our employees to deliver excellence for our customers. Over the years, we have been deliberate about strengthening our employee value proposition, focusing on the quality of work people do, how they are led, how they learn and grow, and how we support their wellbeing,” added Mr. Mohamed.
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