Kenya’s Central Bank Hires Crypto Cops: 4 New Roles to Vet VASP Applications

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Kenyan Central Bank Moves to Vet VASP Applications With 4 Hires

Kenya’s Central Bank is building a team specifically to oversee companies dealing with virtual assets, like cryptocurrencies. This is the first team of its kind for the bank.

Key Takeaways:

  • CBK opened recruitment for 4 VASP oversight roles following the passage of the 2025 VASP Act.
  • The recruitment signals that the CBK aims to professionalize and stabilize Kenya’s growing crypto market.
  • A 13-member committee will manage the VASP regime after the rules are gazetted.

Defining Key Management Roles

The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has opened recruitment for senior and managerial positions to oversee licensing and compliance for virtual asset service providers (VASPs), signaling its intent to operationalize crypto regulation before the final rulebook is in place.

The central bank is hiring for four positions in its digital payments department, with applications due May 18th. These roles will focus on areas like licensing, approving new products, and ensuring compliance. This is the first time the bank has advertised positions specifically to oversee virtual asset service providers (VASPs).

As a crypto investor, I’m watching closely as they build out the team to oversee licensing. It looks like they’re bringing in a manager to head up the whole process – reviewing applications, deciding who gets approved, and creating the rules of the road. They’ll have two deputies: one focused on licensing and product approvals, and another handling compliance. These deputies will be doing the heavy lifting, checking for risks, making sure everyone follows anti-money laundering rules, assessing cybersecurity, and enforcing the license terms. Finally, a business analyst will be there to review applications and help applicants understand the regulations. It’s good to see they’re taking this seriously and building a robust team.

The recruitment drive comes seven months after Kenya’s parliament passed the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act in October 2025, establishing the country’s first legal framework for crypto oversight. Under the law, the CBK will regulate virtual assets used for payments, a market where crypto-linked remittances and mobile money integrations have steadily expanded.

The law has been passed, but the detailed rules needed to put it into effect are still being finalized. In March, the National Treasury created a draft of these rules for Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) and asked for public feedback until April 10th. This draft suggests forming a 13-member committee, with representatives from organizations like the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), the Financial Reporting Centre (FRC), and the National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee (NC4), to oversee how the law is applied in different situations.

Now that the public feedback period is over and the official notice is still pending, the Central Bank appears to be strengthening its team in preparation for upcoming changes. All the new positions require experience in areas like payments, banking, finance, or law. The more senior roles also need specialized knowledge of anti-money laundering, combating terrorism financing, and international regulations for virtual asset service providers.

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2026-05-01 13:27