Kenyans using KCB will face a brief interruption in digital banking services just after midnight tonight, as the lender conducts a scheduled system upgrade. The disruption is planned to last for two hours, starting from 11:59 pm Thursday and concluding at 2:00 am on Friday, December 5, 2025, East Africa Time.

The temporary shutdown is necessary to facilitate crucial system maintenance, which the bank stated is aimed at enhancing service reliability and efficiency for its millions of customers across the region. In a notice sent to its customers, the bank specified which services would be impacted, ensuring clarity and allowing clients to plan accordingly.

Which Services Will Be Affected?

The maintenance will temporarily halt a wide array of the bank's digital and electronic services. Customers are advised that during this two-hour window, they will be unable to access the following platforms:

• Mobile Banking (including the KCB App and USSD code *522#)
• Internet Banking
• ATM services
• Agent banking
• All merchant services (including point-of-sale terminals)

The bank has urged the public to complete any urgent transactions before the maintenance window begins to avoid inconvenience. “Dear Customer, our mobile & internet banking, merchant, agent and ATM services will be unavailable tonight, Thursday 4th December 2025, from 11:59 pm to Friday 5th December 2025, 2:00 am due to system maintenance,” the bank's statement read. KCB also extended an apology for the potential disruption the essential upgrade might cause.

The Push for Digital Resilience

This scheduled downtime comes as Kenyan banks increasingly rely on digital platforms to serve a tech-savvy population that demands 24/7 access to financial services. Such maintenance periods, while disruptive in the short term, are critical for ensuring the long-term stability and security of banking infrastructure. They allow financial institutions to patch vulnerabilities, upgrade software, and expand capacity to handle growing transaction volumes. The move is part of a broader industry trend where banks are investing heavily in their core banking systems to prevent unplanned outages, which can cause significant economic disruption and erode customer trust.

KCB has assured its customers that all services will be restored to full functionality immediately after the maintenance period. The bank encourages clients to plan their financial activities around this brief but essential service interruption.