The partnership will provide financial institutions connected to Kenswitch with access to Wibmo’s Access Control Server (ACS), which uses EMV 3-D Secure technology to help card issuers verify whether online purchases are being made by authorised cardholders and ensure transaction security.
The collaboration will also enhance Kenswitch’s domestic e-commerce payment processing capabilities for local and international merchants. Eligible cards already issued by participating financial institutions could be used for online transactions routed through Kenswitch, subject to applicable payment-network rules, issuer participation, commercial agreements, technical integration and regulatory thresholds.
Under the enhanced online acquiring arrangement, Kenswitch will assess transaction risks in real time to determine whether a payment can proceed without additional verification or requires the cardholder to authenticate the purchase. Supported authentication methods include one-time passwords, biometrics and push-based approvals, depending on the implementation adopted by individual issuers.
For participating banks, the partnership is intended to strengthen safeguards against unauthorised online card transactions while reducing unnecessary interruptions during legitimate purchases.
John Mukono, chief executive officer of Kenswitch, said the partnership would enable the company to provide international-standard authentication solutions to banks connected to its network.
“Our partnership with WIBMO positions Kenswitch to deliver international-standard authentication solutions to banks connected to the Kenswitch network. Through this collaboration, we aim to strengthen cardholder protection across e-commerce transactions while enabling secure, seamless and convenient digital payment experiences. This partnership reinforces our commitment to strengthening Kenya’s domestic payments ecosystem through secure, interoperable infrastructure that supports transactions across both local and international merchant networks,” Mukono said.
Shailesh Paul, chief executive officer of Wibmo, said the collaboration would support the continued development of secure digital commerce in Kenya.
“We are delighted to partner with Kenswitch to enable the continued advancement of secure digital commerce in Kenya. Through the Wibmo Payment Authentication suite, Kenswitch can strengthen cardholder protection while delivering global standard authentication experiences for its clients. This collaboration reflects our commitment to working with payment infrastructure providers to enable secure, scalable and trusted digital payment journeys,” Paul said.
The partnership combines Wibmo’s payment-authentication technology with Kenswitch’s shared payments infrastructure, which connects banks, SACCOs, microfinance institutions and mobile network providers across multiple payment channels.
Wibmo, a PayU company, operates through entities in India, the US and Indonesia. It is a global full-stack PayTech company specialising in payment security and digital payments in emerging markets. The company is also India's largest authentication service provider in one of the world's leading digital payment markets. Its services include fraud and risk management solutions, digital financial services, prepaid solutions and a range of merchant acquiring services. Further information is available at www.wibmo.com.
Kenswitch is a domestic payment switch and shared payments infrastructure provider regulated by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). It enables interoperability among banks, SACCOS, microfinance institutions and mobile money network providers across multiple payment channels.
Through its member network, Kenswitch provides connectivity and transaction-routing infrastructure that allows participating institutions and their customers to transact across its member bank network of more than 2,500 ATMs, 50,000 POS terminals, 80,000 agents, as well as e-commerce and digital payment channels. Further information is available at www.kenswitch.com.
The collaboration is expected to strengthen authentication capabilities across Kenswitch’s connected financial institutions while supporting secure online card transactions through domestic payment infrastructure and access to local and international merchant networks.
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