Nairobi, Feb. 2 -- The trading of corporate bonds at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) has remained dismal despite new major issuances by Safaricom and EABL in 2025.

Total corporate bond turnover last year rose to Sh840 million from a meagre Sh40,000 in 2024 but remains well below highs of up to Sh12.47 billion in 2010, according to data from the Capital Markets Authority (CMA).

The sluggish corporate bond market contrasts sharply with a historical record in Treasury bonds turnover, which topped Sh2.7 trillion in 2025 from Sh1.54 trillion the previous year.

Last year, EABL raised Sh16.76 billion at an interest rate of 11.8 percent from its approved Sh20 billion medium-term notes programme.Safaricom, on its part, raised Sh20 billion...