Kenyans making large electronic payments through the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) have been advised to finalise their transfers early, as the regulator prepares to take its Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) platform offline for a scheduled upgrade.

The exercise will begin on Friday at 1:30 PM, pausing real-time processing of payments until Monday.

This means that any transfer not completed by midday on Friday will remain pending for three days.

In its message to clients, the CBK urged early completion of transactions. The notice stated:

“Dear Customer, the Central Bank of Kenya will upgrade its systems on Friday, August 22, 2025 at 1:30 PM, impacting RTGS payment processing. Please ensure all RTGS payments are made by 12:30 PM on that date. Normal services will resume on Monday, August 25, 2025,” read the communication from CBK.

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The shutdown is expected to affect both companies and individuals who rely on the RTGS system for high-value settlements, making planning crucial to avoid disruptions.

This maintenance comes shortly after CBK extended RTGS operating hours from July 1, 2025, a decision intended to give customers more flexibility in handling time-sensitive transactions.

While the pause may temporarily inconvenience businesses, the upgrade has been presented as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the resilience and reliability of the payment infrastructure.