Nairobi, Sept. 1 -- Last week in Business Talk, we commenced a multi-part series on financial services firms in Kenya with politically exposed people owning or controlling substantial shares in the company. More politically exposed banks in the US, as an example, yielded political benefits by receiving substantial government bailout funds during their last financial crisis.

Utilising famed organisational researchers Roger Mayer, James Davis and David Schoorman's trust framework of ability, benevolence, and integrity, let us look at whether political exposure helps or hurts our financial services firms.

Political exposure can often strengthen public perceptions in the safety of their savings in financial institutions. Depositors can look...