Kenya’s stake in pan African ECA diluted

(The Star, Nairobi, 8 May 017) Kenya's shareholding in African Trade Insurance Agency has been marginally diluted following entry of four new investors, the largely political risk and investment guarantee firm has said. Chief executive George Otieno said Kenya's stake has dropped to about 12 per cent from 15 per cent. This was after Ethiopia and Zimbabwe joined the pan-African investment and commercial risk insurance provider last year, while Ivory Coast came on board last month. UK’s national export credit agency, UK Export Finance, has also acquired undisclosed stake in ATI, joining African Development Bank and Italian Export Credit Agency as non-state shareholders. “Kenya, however, remains the single largest shareholder in ATI and by some measure the single biggest beneficiary of ATI cover since its inception,” ATI’s chief underwriting officer John Lentaigne said. “We have investments in Kenya equivalent to 15 per cent (about Sh1.08 trillion) of the current GDP (about Sh7.2 trillion) since its (ATI's) inception.” The company was formed by seven African countries, with Kenya as single largest shareholder, in 2001 but started operating fully in 2003. The agency was financially and technically supported by the World Bank Group during its formation.