Competition Authority approves 60% De La Rue Kenya stake acquisition by Mauritius firm
The Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) has approved the acquisition of a 60 per cent stake in De La Rue Kenya EPZ Limited by Mauritius-based investment firm Monarch Capital Limited, paving the way for a major change in ownership of the company that has been associated with printing Kenya’s currency for decades. The approval was […]
The Competition Authority of Kenya recently approved the acquisition of a 60 percent stake in De La Rue Kenya EPZ Limited by a Mauritius-based investment firm, Monarch Capital Limited. This marks a significant shift in ownership for the company, which has been responsible for printing Kenya's currency for many decades. The approval was published in the Kenya Gazette on October 2, 2026, according to a notice dated August 21, 2026.
The Competition Authority authorized the transaction under Section 46(6)(a)(ii) of the Competition Act, allowing Monarch Capital to take over the 60 percent shareholding previously owned by Thomas De La Rue AG, while the Kenyan government will retain its 40 percent stake through the National Treasury. This change comes as De La Rue Kenya prepares to transition away from its banknote printing operations, which were suspended in January 2023 after the company reported no expectations of new orders from the Central Bank of Kenya.
The National Treasury acquired a 40 percent stake in De La Rue Kenya EPZ Limited in 2017, forming a joint venture between the government and the company. The ownership change is a result of the banknote printing operations being discontinued following the loss of the business that had supported De La Rue Kenya's presence in the country for decades.
Written by urgent.news from People Daily Kenya's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
