In this episode of the , I sat down with , the , to unpack a career that has mirrored the digital evolution of credit in Kenya — from manual loan approvals to fully automated, AI-powered decisioning.

Our conversation coincided with the launch of Creditinfo’s new platform, with to roll it out. Michael, who joined Creditinfo after senior roles at Equity Bank Group and I&M Bank, brought a deeply grounded yet forward-thinking perspective to the discussion.

Michael’s journey began as a teller in rural Kenya and eventually led him to spearhead some of the most transformative lending innovations in the region — from digitizing ATM-based credit access in the pre-M-PESA era to launching mobile-first lending platforms for MSMEs. His insights stem not just from building lending products, but also from navigating the realities of financial access in high-volume, low-margin environments.

What stands out in his narrative is the — where Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL), embedded credit, and instant approvals are fast becoming the norm in Kenya’s mobile-centric ecosystem.

A major theme of our discussion was — especially how to serve the gig economy, smallholder farmers, and informal MSMEs. Michael explained how combining with (like mobile money transactions, SMS metadata, and even satellite imagery) creates a fuller, more accurate picture of creditworthiness.

He emphasized that , particularly when onboarding users who are “thin-file” or unbanked.

This is where Creditinfo’s new eKYC platform shines: It creates a through a single API, reducing fraud, increasing confidence in onboarding, and eliminating the need for cumbersome multi-step verification.

Michael framed the eKYC launch not just as a new product, but as a . Traditional lenders have often relied on rule-based decisioning, but Creditinfo’s approach uses aggregated data intelligence to .

The goal is to safeguard lenders while making it easier for quality customers to access credit. Whether it’s a digital lender struggling with high non-performing loans (NPLs) or a retail bank looking to reduce onboarding friction, the eKYC solution is designed to bring .

As we wrapped up, Michael painted a vision of . He described a future where credit is across everyday experiences — from agricultural supply chains to online retail to vehicle purchases.

In his view, the convergence of will redefine how banks, fintechs, and retailers collaborate to deliver credit. But the core idea remains human: building trust, reducing exclusion, and designing credit journeys that meet people where they are.

Learn more about Creditinfo’s new eKYC solution by visiting ⁠https://shorturl.at/TcVkJ

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