Co-operative Bank of Kenya’s Group Managing Director and CEO, Gideon Muriuki, has boosted his personal stake in the bank by buying about 5.5 million additional shares valued at approximately Sh148.2 million in the period up to December 2025.
According to regulatory disclosures, Mr. Muriuki’s total shareholding now stands at around 135 million shares, raising his ownership in the Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed lender to roughly 2.3 percent. This marks an increase from the roughly 129.5 million shares he held in May 2025, when his stake was around 2.21 percent.
Mr. Muriuki had long maintained a 2 percent holding before stepping up his purchases in early 2025. His expanded position now makes him the largest individual shareholder in Co-op Bank.
Investors often view share purchases by company executives as a sign of confidence in future prospects, since insiders typically have deep insight into their firm’s performance and strategy.
Other major investors, such as businessman Baloobhai Patel, have also accumulated large holdings in the bank over the years; Patel paused his buying after reaching about 100 million shares, equivalent to a roughly 1.7 percent stake.
Co-op Bank’s stock has recently performed strongly, with a surge in price over the past year and the payment of its first interim dividend of Sh1 per share, which many see as a step toward higher total returns for 2025 shareholders.
