Level of Compliance with Capital Adequacy Guidelines and Technical Efficiency of Commercial Banks in Kenya: The Moderating Role of Bank Size

Authors

  • Stephen Kisuli Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
  • Tabitha Nasieku Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
  • Gordon Opuodho Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
  • Kimanzi Kalundu Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t4369

Abstract

This research evaluated the extent to which commercial banks’ compliance with capital adequacy guideline levels positively or negatively impacts technical efficiency in Kenya. The research employed a quantitative approach using ten years’ data for all licensed commercial banks in Kenya. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was used to determine the measures for efficiency, and the two-limit Tobit model and Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) were used to determine the efficiency measure effects. The results showed that there was a positive and statistically significant relationship between commercial banks’ capital adequacy and technical efficiency. It showed that commercial banks with higher and better levels of capital had improved levels of efficiency. The study recommends that commercial banks maintain high levels of prudential compliance, as greater adherence to capital adequacy guidelines is positively associated with higher technical efficiency. The paper also recommends that regulators and policymakers consider bank size when designing and implementing prudential guidelines. It was further recommended that researchers examine this relationship across other financial institutions, including microfinance and cooperative banks, and over longer time periods to capture evolving regulatory and operational dynamics

Keywords: Capital Adequacy, Technical efficiency, Bank size, Commercial banks

Author Biographies

Stephen Kisuli, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya

School of Business and Entrepreneurship

Tabitha Nasieku, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya

School of Business and Entrepreneurship

Gordon Opuodho, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya

School of Business and Entrepreneurship

Kimanzi Kalundu, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya

School of Business and Entrepreneurship

References

Andersen, H., & Juelsrud, R. E. (2024). Optimal capital adequacy ratios for banks. Latin American Journal of Central Banking, 5(2), 100107.

Azwari, P. C., Febriansyah, F., & Jayanti, S. D. (2022). Impact of Third-Party Funds and Capital Adequacy Ratio on Profit Sharing Financing. International Business and Accounting Research Journal, 6(1), 63-70.

Bayar, Y., Borozan, D., & Gavriletea, M. D. (2021). Banking sector stability and economic growth in post‐transition European Union countries. International Journal of Finance & Economics, 26(1), 949-961.

Benston, G. J. (1972). Economies of scale of financial institutions. Journal of money, credit and banking, 4(2), 312-341.

Berger, A. N., Herring, R. J., & Szegö, G. P. (1995). The role of capital in financial institutions. Journal of Banking & Finance, 19(3-4), 393-430.

Boamah, N. A., Opoku, E., & Boakye-Dankwa, A. (2023). Capital regulation, liquidity risk, efficiency and banks performance in emerging economies. Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance, 31(1), 126-145.

Charnes, A., Cooper, W. W., & Rhodes, E. (1978). Measuring the efficiency of decision-making units. European journal of operational research, 2(6), 429-444.

Clark, J. A. (1984). Estimation of economies of scale in banking using a generalized functional form. Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, 16(1), 53-68.

Cooper, W. W., Seiford, L. M., & Zhu, J. (Eds.). (2011). Handbook on data envelopment analysis.

Duho, K. C. T. (2020). Intellectual capital and technical efficiency of banks in an emerging market: a slack-based measure. Journal of Economic Studies, 47(7), 1711-1732.

Gatu, K. A., Njehia, B. K., & Kimutai, C. (2023). SASRA Prudential Regulations and Financial Performance of Deposit Taking Saving and Credit Co-Operative Societies in Kenya. Journal of Finance and Accounting, 7(7), 80-99.

Hausman, J. A. (1978). Specification tests in econometrics. Econometrica: Journal of the econometric society, 1251-1271.

Ikapel, F. O., Namusonge, G. S., & Sakwa, M. M. (2023). Determinants of banking sector efficiency in Kenya: application of non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) Model. Asian Journal of Economics, Business and Accounting, 23(13), 18-28.

Izadikhah, M. (2022). Dea approaches for financial evaluation-a literature review. Advances in Mathematical Finance and Applications, 1(1), 1.

Kirimi, D. M., Kithinji, M., & Gatauwa, J. (2023). Effects of capital adequacy guidelines on financial performance of commercial banks in Kenya. Reviewed Journal International of Financial Management, 4(1), 21-29.

Korneev, V., Dziubliuk, O., Tymkiv, A., Antkiv, V., & Kucherenko, N. (2023). Banking sector stability and economic development: Assessment of risks and efficiency. Economic Affairs, 68(3), 1683-1692.

Lei, L., & Yuan, Y. (2021). Financial risk management based on Basel III. Financial Engineering and Risk Management, 4, 65-69.

Li, Z., Feng, C., & Tang, Y. (2022). Bank efficiency and failure prediction: a nonparametric and dynamic model based on data envelopment analysis. Annals of Operations Research, 315(1), 279-315.

Mishkin, F. S. (2006). How big a problem is too big to fail? A review of Gary Stern and Ron Feldman's too big to fail: the hazards of bank bailouts. Journal of economic literature, 44(4), 988-1004.

Muiruri, P. (2024). The Impact of Basel III Corporate Governance Standards on the Financial Performance of Commercial Banks in Kenya. Available at SSRN 4844995.

Obadire, A. M., Moyo, V., & Munzhelele, N. F. (2022). Basel III capital regulations and bank efficiency: Evidence from selected African Countries. International Journal of Financial Studies, 10(3), 57.

Rosett, R. N., & Nelson, F. D. (1975). Estimation of the two-limit probit regression model. Econometrica: journal of the Econometric Society, 141-146.

Pakistan. Journal of Science and Technology Policy Management, 14(6), 1128-1154.

Sharma, S. K., & Sen, S. (2025). Efficiency and Its Determinants for Non-life Insurers in India: A Comparative Analysis Using DEA and SFA. Global Business Review, 09721509251381620.

Shrestha, S., Bedari, D. P., & Pant, S. (2025). Operating Efficiency and A Test of Semi Strong Market Efficiency for Commercial Banks’ Stock Price in Nepal. Janabhawana Research Journal, 4(1), 1-21.

Sitienei, H., Korir, M., & Koske, N. (2023). Effect of bank efficiency strategies on firm financial performance among banks in Kenya. Journal of Business, Economics and Management Research Studies, 1(2), 1-10.

Sukmana, R., Ajija, S. R., Salama, S. C. U., & Hudaifah, A. (2020). Financial performance of rural banks in Indonesia: a two-stage DEA approach. Heliyon, 6(7).

Wanjagi, J., Nasieku, T., & Fatoki, O. (2024). Effect of Capital Adequacy on Operational Efficiency of Commercial Banks in Kenya. ESI Preprints (European Scientific Journal, ESJ), 20(22), 49-49.

Wooldridge, J. M. (2023). Simple approaches to nonlinear difference-in-differences with panel data. The Econometrics Journal, 26(3), C31-C66.

Downloads

Published

2026-01-14

How to Cite

Kisuli, S., Nasieku, T., Opuodho, G., & Kalundu, K. (2026). Level of Compliance with Capital Adequacy Guidelines and Technical Efficiency of Commercial Banks in Kenya: The Moderating Role of Bank Size. Journal of Finance and Accounting, 10(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t4369

Issue

Section

Articles