DETERMINANTS OF INTEREST RATE SPREAD AMONG COMMERCIAL BANKS IN KENYA

Abstract

Purpose: This study sought to find the determinant of interest rate spread among commercial banks in Kenya.

Methodology: The study used a descriptive research design. The target population of this study included all the commercial banks in Kenya since the small number of population called for a census survey of all the banks. The study used secondary data which includes the governments’ publications, journals, banking survey reports, annual reports of the Commercial banks in Kenya and periodicals. Quantitative data was collected. Secondary data used to calculate interest rate spread was collected from the annual statements of the sampled commercial banks. The study used both descriptive and inferential statistics. The descriptive statistics included trend analysis, mean and standard deviation. The study used a pooled OLS regression model to analyze the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.

Results: The regression results indicate that there is a positive and significant relationship between market structure and interest spread. This finding was supported by a regression coefficient of 0.200 (p value = 0.000). The reported p value was less than the critical p value of 0.05. The results also indicated that there is a positive and significant relationship between credit risk and interest spread. This finding was supported by a regression coefficient of 0.096 (p value = 0.008). The reported p value was less than the critical p value of 0.05. This implies that an increase in credit risk by one unit would result to an increase in the interest spread by 0.096 units. Further, the results indicate that there is a positive but insignificant relationship between access to information and interest spread. The regression results also indicated that there is a negative and significant relationship between regulation and interest spread. This finding was supported by a regression coefficient of -1.309 (p value = 0.000). The reported p value was less than the critical p value of 0.05.

Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommended that commercial banks should be encouraged to use the information from the credit reference bureaus so as to maintain a lower interest spread among Commercial banks in Kenya. The study also recommended that the central  bank should licence more CRBs which would assist the commercial banks in lowering the credit risk. the study recommended that the central bank should review the monetary policy and lower the T- bill (91 days). This would help to lower the interest spread among Commercial banks in Kenya.