Bank-specific determinants of commercial banks financial stability in Kenya

This study sought to identify the bank-specific determinants of commercial banks financial stability in Kenya. This was achieved by examining the effect of; regulatory capital, credit exposure, bank funding, bank size and corporate governance variables on banks financial stability. Altman’s Z-Score plus Model for non-US and non-manufacturing firms was adopted as a measure of banks financial stability. Secondary panel data contained in the annual reports and financial statements of study population which consisted of all commercial in Kenya licensed by Central Bank of Kenya for period year 2000 to year 2015 was collected and used for analysis. A census of all 39 commercial banks and quantitative research design was adopted. The study adopted panel regression to capture both cross sectional and longitudinal data characteristics. Specified panel regression model for fixed effects supported by the Hausman test results was estimated. Panel Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) regression results found bank size, regulatory capital; bank funding and corporate governance had a positive and statistically significant effect on financial stability for commercial banks in Kenya.