I&M Bank Opens New Branch in Watamu Targets Locals and Tourists
By Ronald Ngoba & Mwakwaya Raymond
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
The march to spread its wings in the Coast region has seen I&M Bank open another new branch at Jakaranda Mall, the tourist resort town in Kilifi County to strengthen its presence in the area.
Bank’s executive general manager for personal and business banking Shameer Patel told journalists the initiative signalled their intent to deal with tourists’ and locals’ needs apart from bridging the financial gap across the region.
The expansion strategy is a move meant to spread its services in all the 47 counties in the country through various distribution channels.
“The expansion is a very noble move towards driving financial inclusion and extending our new location especially Watamu which has been our target. This is inline with the Bank sustainability agenda of being closer to our clients and driving higher personalized engagement.”
The newly opened branch takes I&M Group branch network to 93 with 49 being in Kenya and others spread in 15 countries globally. Some of the new outlets are found in Kilifi, Kwale, Nairobi, Naivasha and Kiambu counties.
“We are targeting to open more outlets countrywide so as to bring services closer to the customers because we believe more branches will help the lender to offer personalized customer-first service that will go along in supporting and uplifting individuals and local communities.”
James Ng’ang’a, Coast regional manager, said the bank would continue to be a valued partner to spenomatic group in implementing green transition across the Sub-Saharan Africa.
The bank targets individuals and local communities to embraced its services and products through creating a conducive business atmosphere that’s attractive to customers’ value for their monies.
“Saving money is very crucial because it enables individuals to meet their needs between income cycles, plan their budget and set aside funds for emergencies or long-term investments. Here at I &M we have a solution,” he said.
Under its _iMara_ Strategy, according to him, the bank has prioritized expanding its retail services which includes introducing retail products, expanding its credit facilities and eliminating services such as bank to Mpesa transaction cost.
Sharrif Said, a business community area representative, challenged the residents to start saving money in the bank saying they would benefit immensely and improve their livelihoods.
