The bank was founded in Nairobi, in 1986, as Finance International Limited, a "Non-Banking Financial Institution" (NBFI). The name of the institution was later changed to the Finance Institution of Africa (FINA). In 1991 the company changed ownership. In 1995, the Central Bank of Kenya, the country's banking regulator, changed the banking laws, requiring all NBFI's to convert to commercial banks or close shop. To comply with the law, FINA converted to a commercial bank, Fina Bank (Kenya) Limited, in February 1996.
