The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) on Thursday published the third edition of the Report on the State of Corporate Governance for Issuers of Securities to the Public in Kenya for the financial year 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020.
The annual publication outlines the Authority’s independent assessment of how companies listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange and the issuers of corporate bonds are applying the principles and recommendations contained in the Code of Corporate Governance Practices for Issuers of Securities to the Public, 2015 (CG Code).
The Report shows that that the weighted overall score for issuers in the application of the CG Code has improved year-on-year with 2019/2020 recording a score of 72 percent up from 61 percent in 2018/2019 and 55 percent in 2017/2018.
‘The purpose of the Report is to raise visibility on the state of good corporate governance among issuers while tracking performance so as to empower investors and respective boards to encourage continuous improvement in practices’, CMA Chief Executive Wyckliffe Shamiah noted.
Of the seven principles set out in the CG Code, Commitment to Good Governance was ranked the highest while all the other principles recorded improvements. ‘With the improved performance, the Authority calls on issuers to focus on building trust and a culture of good governance while emphasizing the importance of sustainability in all its business decisions and practices, noting the effects of Covid-19 on business operations’, Mr Shamiah added.
The Authority will continue engaging issuers, stakeholders and partners to build on the progress made while ensuring that the governance requirements are facilitative, value-adding and progressive.
Source: CMA Statement
