Treasury launches policy push to unlock billions in unclaimed financial assets
By Kenneth Mwenda, February 11, 2026The National Treasury has launched a major policy initiative aimed at reuniting Kenyans with billions of shillings held in unclaimed financial assets.
On Tuesday, February 10, 2026, Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo inaugurated a Technical Working Group (TWG) tasked with drafting Kenya’s first comprehensive National Policy on Unclaimed Financial Assets. The event took place at the National Treasury headquarters in Nairobi.
The move marks a renewed push by the government to improve how dormant money, shares and other financial assets are identified, managed and returned to their rightful owners or beneficiaries.
“The inauguration marks the beginning of a coordinated inter-agency effort to strengthen the identification, management and reunification of unclaimed financial assets with their rightful owners and beneficiaries,” Treasury said in a post.
Kenya’s Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority (UFAA), which manages such assets on behalf of the public, currently holds Ksh57 billion invested in government securities at the Central Bank of Kenya. The funds form part of a wider pool of unclaimed wealth that includes bank deposits, insurance payouts, pension benefits, shares in listed and unlisted companies, and contents of safe deposit boxes.
According to official records, the total value of assets remitted to UFAA has surpassed Ksh115 billion. Of that amount, more than Ksh2.84 billion has already been paid out to over 39,000 claimants.
Separate reports show that unclaimed shares alone are worth tens of billions of shillings. In some cases, holdings linked to major listed companies, including Safaricom, account for a significant share of the dormant wealth.
Once finalised, the National Policy on Unclaimed Financial Assets is expected to introduce several reforms. These include stronger compliance requirements for banks, insurers, stockbrokers and pension schemes, as well as improved transparency in reporting dormant accounts.
Digital claims process improved
The policy also seeks to modernise the claims process by expanding the use of digital platforms, mobile tools and online verification systems. Treasury officials say this will reduce delays and make it easier for claimants, especially those outside major towns, to access their funds.
UFAA chief executive officers have repeatedly stressed that the authority does not own the assets it holds.
Under Kenyan law, financial institutions must transfer assets to UFAA once they remain inactive for a defined period, usually between two and five years, depending on the type of asset. Dormancy often arises when account holders pass away without heirs coming forward, relocate without updating records, or forget about old accounts.
The Treasury has encouraged Kenyans to check whether they or their relatives may have unclaimed assets. Individuals can search the official UFAA database using their name or ID number via the authority’s website or by dialling *361# on any mobile phone.