This is your detailed guide on how to get clearance from CRB Kenya for job application or loan application:
In Kenya – and I guess that’s the situation in most other countries – you won’t run away with a lender’s debt. You do that, and you are at crossroads with the lender – straight to Credit Reference Bureaus (CRB) blacklisted!
Sounds sour, and yet many more Kenyans have found themselves locked into the bureaus for defaulting on their loan repayments.
And weren’t it for the presidential appeal of March 25, 2020 due to economic upheaval, more culprits would have been sent packing to the CRB dungeons.
That, however, has been suspended temporarily, at least for now following the COVID-19 pandemic 2020.
Anyways, for those who’ve been listed, and those in need of clearance certificates, the big question is how to get clearance from CRB Kenya.
Do you ever stop and interrogate how you can eventually get cleared from negative listing?
If so, I have ramped up this guide to help you in this situation. Unbelievably, it is a simple process that won’t take a lot of effort from you.
Top 3 CRB Agents in Kenya.
What is a CRB?
This is a company that collects borrowers’ credit information from capital lending institutions and prepares credit reports about borrowers. The collected data is used to determine the creditworthiness of an individual.
When you apply a loan to lender X, the lender requests your up-to-date information regarding your creditworthiness from the CRBs. They will use these data to grant or decline your loan request.
Take note that all CRB Kenya agents are licensed and regulated by the Central Bank of Kenya.
There are three major CRB agents in the country; Metropol, TransUnion, and the Creditinfo companies.
1. Metropol Credit Reference Bureau
Since 1996, Metropol has been offering CRB services. The company collects full-file credit information from banks, SACCOs, HELB, Utilities, and Mobile phone services, etc.
The goal of Metropol Kenya is to help lenders increase their capacity to give out loans profitably while enabling the lenders’ customers’ easy access to credit and finance.
Here are Metropol Credit Reference Bureau Limited’s contacts:
Metropol Corporation Ltd Head Office.
KCB Towers, 15th Floor
Kenya Road, Upper Hill, Nairobi
P.O Box 35331 – 00200 Nairobi-Kenya
Metropol CRB Contact Centre.
Barclays Plaza, 9th Floor
Loita Street, Nairobi-Kenya
Phone Numbers:
(+254) 20 26 89 88 1 / (+254) 709 834 000 / (+254) 709 228 000 / (+254) 730884000
2. TransUnion Credit Reference Bureau
TransUnion has stamped its presence in at least eight countries in Africa, including Kenya. The CRB boasts of offering services beyond just the regular credit data.
According to its website, TransUnion also helps businesses and organizations with far-reaching information that would propel these institutions to higher achievements thanks to the inspired decision-making process instilled by the CRB.
Besides banks, the agent also offers solutions to healthcare providers, insurance companies, property managers, and more.
To contact TransUnion Credit Reference Bureau, check out these contacts:
2nd Floor Delta Annex,
Ring road, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya
P O Box 46406 -00100 Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254730 651 000
Fax: +254 20 375 1344
For instant credit status information SMS your name to 21272
3. Creditinfo Credit Reference Bureau.
Creditifo Kenya is part of the global Creditifo Group. This means that the agent is an international CRB trading across nations in Europe, Central Asia, Middle East, Caribbean, and of course, in Sub-Saharan Africa.
This CRB claims to convert the credit data collected into intelligence, which can be used by lenders and credit providers as a scorecard for their customers.
Here are the contacts;
1st Floor, Standard
Chartered Building, 48
Westlands Road, P.O. Box
38941-00623 Parklands,
Nairobi
Tel: +254 709593 000
Email: cikinfo@creditinfo.co.ke
How to Check CRB Status Online.
Checking your CRB status online is a cinch and very straightforward. All you need to look at is the history you have with various financial lenders and other credit institutions.
When it comes to checking the CRB status, most individuals downsize into a bone-chilling mood. You don’t need to plunge into distress if you’ve never defaulted loan repayment.
But if for sure you know you once didn’t fulfill your loan terms and conditions, then you have every reason to be anxious.
This is how it happens: you have not repaid your loan amount in full in three consecutive installments, or let’s say three months from the date the loan was granted. Without a doubt, your name could be on the blacklist.
To avoid spirit-jumps, ensure that you are in good terms with all financial lenders, including banks, mobile platforms, HELB, asset creditors – just all of them.
Here is how you can check your status online;
In Metropol CRB
The SMS route
- Find the Mpesa Menu on your phone. Go to pay bill and feed in the Metropol Pay bill number 220338.
- Use your ID as the account number and send
- You will receive an SMS with three vital pieces of information: a unique pin, reference number, and a link to follow their service.
- Check your status using the USSD code *433#. Enter the pin you received. You will receive an SMS with the listing status in a matter of minutes.
- The other
The Online Route
- The other method involves downloading the Metropol App, which is readily available in the Play store of your Android.
- Register and log in for the submission of payment. Request your listing status through the app.
- To top it all, visit the Metropol Website, register and log in to access the service. Make the payment and check your CRB status.
Credit Status
You might want to know more than just the listing status. If you are interested to know what your credit score is like, you will be required to pay Ksh.100 as a subscription fee.
Still, you will follow the procedure described in checking the CRB status. Credit scores are ranked from 200-900, with 200 the lowest and 900 the highest.
If your score is below 400, that’s poor. At 400 or slightly above, most lenders will give you money with caution.
To be on the safe side, ensure that your standing is somewhere closer to 900.
In TransUnion CRB
You can also a CRB Kenya status check via the TransUnion Corporation. The following procedure should assist you if you opt to go with TransUnion:
- Send your full names to this shortcode SMS number 21272
- Enter your ID number
- Select CC, to mean Credit Status
- In minutes, you will receive an SMS that bears either ‘good’ or ‘negative.’ Good obviously shows you are in good standing. Negative is not very good news.
- If you want to confirm your status again, you are required to pay Ksh. 650 via Pay bill number 212121, then enter the ID number for the account number section.
- So to avoid these unnecessary costs, be sure to use the free opportunity well
In Creditinfo CRB
You can also pay via the Creditinfo website. The procedure is highlighted right below:
- Sign up on the Creditinfo website and request for the credit report
- An email will be sent to you showing your status.
- This report will be sent to you for free in a period spanning one year.
- After one year, the free service expires, and you are now to pay Ksh.350 per year to receive credit reports.
How to Get Clearance from CRB Kenya.
If you did default a loan repayment, you would soon go down to your knees, looking for vindication. But things look good as you can redeem your financial reputation.
All you need to do is to clear the loan. You may ask: what should I do as my current loan is quite big in comparison to what I can get?
Well, try negotiating with the lender (banks can allow you to pay in smaller installments). Some other lenders may accept collateral to cover for the loan.
The good thing is that as soon as you repay the loan in full, the lender sends your credit data to the CRBs for clearance of your name from the blacklist. As for your credit score, you’ll wait for about 2-3 days for updating.
Now you may start thinking about getting a clearance certificate.
CRB Clearance Certificate.
At some point, you need to have this certificate. I guess you know under which circumstances.
Meanwhile, the CRB certificate application in Kenya process requires that you pay some Kshs. 2200 to the credit reference bureaus.
For your information, you don’t have to pay this amount to each CRB agency. Once you pay to one of the three, that’s all.
This means you will need to register with one agent only.
METROPOL:
Obtain a Metropol Certificate by sending Ksh.2200 via pay bill number 220338. Go to their website and request for the certificate.
TRANSUNION:
Apply a TransUnion certificate by paying Kshs. 2200 via pay bill number 212121. You are required to forward the Mpesa message to email cert@transunion.co.ke.
Take note that any CRB clearance certificate is valid only for 24 hours. This is because lending institutions keep sending in new credit reports to the CRBs each day.
This also doesn’t mean that you’ll need to pay Ksh. 2,200 each time you want a certificate. But make it your goal to have this certificate only when it’s necessary; otherwise, it will get rejected if it is not strictly up to date.
CRB Clearance Certificate Download.
Go to the website. Let’s say the Metropol Website.
Sign in with your mobile number and refer to the SMS received – it contains the reference number. Fill this reference number as indicated.
Once you successfully log in, you will be able to see a link. Click on that link to get or download your CRB report or certificate.
Consequences of Being Negatively Listed with CRB in Kenya.
This goal of this guide is to help those who have landed on the wrong lane of CRB. It will be super-important to understand how to get clearance from CRB Kenya.
Because the consequences of the CRB are many and far-reaching, you don’t want to live with them. Here is a quick check into some effects of being negatively listed/blacklisted with CRB Kenya.
You Will Be Denied Employment?
Most companies, including the Government of Kenya, and all county governments have the CRB certificate as a statutory requirement for application to their jobs.
Although this doesn’t apply to all employers, it might be copied across by many HR managers.
Mark these words: the probability of making through the interview stage is extremely low. It is even worse if you went to an interview, and all other candidates came fully equipped with this document while you didn’t carry.
The public service commissions across county governments have not loosed grip on the mandatory requirement of a CRB clearance certificate.
You Will Be Denied Loans?
Blacklisting is a sure ticket for being denied loans from all lending institutions. You can be dead-on sure that any loan you try to apply from whichever lender will be declined.
Usually, your creditworthiness is not up to the standard of being awarded a loan. As long as your credit score is still ranking on the lower end, you have absolutely no chance.
No one can trust you anymore. So work harder to get out this stark situation.
Also Read: Easy Branch Loan Application
You Can Have Tougher Loan Terms Next Time You Apply.
You don’t want to be discriminated against by creditors and banking institutions. If you keep on defaulting on loans, remember your data is also being shared with all lenders by CRB.
Next time you want to borrow, even after clearing your defaulted loans, it’ll never be soft sailing on your side. The previous adverse listing could warrant stricter lending terms just for you.
That doesn’t sound good. You might even be denied a loan altogether – yet you might have cleared the whole outstanding sum.
In Conclusion
It is one thing to get listed adversely on CRB, and it’s another to be cleared. I wouldn’t encourage you to be frightened because you have been listed negatively.
That’s why this guide on how to get clearance from CRB Kenya is right here to help you out with handy tips.
As much as possible, you don’t need to land yourself time and again in these financial punishments. There is forgiveness, but it could be late to help you out in the short term.
Once you are delisted from CRB, stay away from trouble.