Want to remove CRB blacklisting? First, the honest part: a correct listing can’t be deleted early, by you or by anyone you pay. What you can do depends on which of three cases you’re in. If the listing is wrong, you can dispute it for free and have it corrected. If it’s for a very small amount, a 2020 rule may cover you. If it’s correct, paying turns it into a settled account and starts a 5-year clock.
What "CRB blacklisting" actually means
There’s no single blacklist. Kenya has three licensed credit reference bureaus: TransUnion, Metropol and Creditinfo. Each keeps a file on you built from what lenders report. A "listing" is negative information in that file, usually a loan the lender reports as non-performing. Metropol describes that as a "loan not serviced for 90days". (Metropol FAQ)
A lender must give you at least 30 days’ notice before it sends negative information to a bureau, or a shorter period if your contract allows it (regulation 25(1), CRB Regulations 2013). (Kenya Law)
Step by step: how to remove a CRB listing
Step 1: Get your free CRB report from each bureau
Each bureau must give you one free report a year (regulation 35(3), CRB Regulations 2013). Request it from all three, because each bureau keeps its own file.
How to request:
- • TransUnion: SMS your name to 21272, or the TransUnion Nipashe app (KSh 50 one-off registration)
- • Creditinfo: MyCreditinfo online portal or app (KSh 50 online verification)
- • Metropol: USSD *433# on Safaricom, or the Crystobol app
Step 2: Decide which case you are in
- 1. Wrong listing: not your loan, already paid, or the wrong amount. Go to step 3.
- 2. Listed for KSh 1,000 or less. Under the 2020 Regulations, which are under legal challenge, lenders may not send negative information for amounts that small (regulation 18(2)). Ask the bureau to remove it, citing that rule. The 2013 Regulations had no minimum. (2020)
- 3. Correct listing. Go to step 4.
Step 3: Dispute a wrong listing (free)
Lodge a dispute with the bureau that shows the error, and attach proof such as M-Pesa statements or a letter from the lender. Disputes are free at TransUnion and Creditinfo, according to their fee schedules.
Under the 2020 Regulations, which are under legal challenge, the bureau flags the item within 5 working days and the lender has 21 days to finish its investigation. If it doesn’t, the disputed information is deleted (regulation 37(6) to (10)). The 2013 Regulations gave the lender 14 days (regulation 35(8)), and Creditinfo’s FAQ still says 14. If the bureau doesn’t act, you can escalate to CBK (regulation 37(15), 2020). (2020; 2013; Creditinfo FAQ)
Step 4: Settle a correct listing
- 1. Ask the lender for the exact amount owed, in writing.
- 2. Pay it, and keep the M-Pesa or bank receipt.
- 3. Ask the lender for a letter confirming the account is paid in full.
- 4. Once the lender confirms payment, request your report again and check the account shows as settled. If it doesn’t, dispute it with that letter as proof.
Paying doesn’t erase the record. Negative information stays for 5 years from the date you finish paying the defaulted amount (regulation 33(1), CRB Regulations 2013). The clock starts at settlement, not at default. (Kenya Law)
What it costs
| Item | Cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Credit report (first each year, each bureau) | Free | CRB Regulations 2013, reg. 35(3) |
| Extra TransUnion report in the same year | KSh 300 | TransUnion fee schedule, undated |
| Extra Creditinfo report within 12 months | KSh 350 (+ KSh 50) | Creditinfo fee schedule, June 2021 |
| Extra Metropol report | Not published | Metropol site, checked 27 Sep 2026 |
| Dispute at TransUnion or Creditinfo | Free | TransUnion fee schedule, undated; Creditinfo fee schedule, June 2021 |
| TransUnion clearance certificate (after the first, which is free) | KSh 2,200 | TransUnion fee schedule, undated |
| The debt itself | What you owe the lender | — |
Why some rules here carry a warning
The KSh 1,000 floor, the 21-day dispute deadline and the free first clearance certificate come only from the 2020 CRB Regulations. The High Court declared those Regulations void on 28 August 2023. News reports say the Court of Appeal suspended that ruling in February 2024 while CBK’s appeal is heard. A High Court judgment of 12 February 2026 says they are "of no legal effect whatsoever" and notes the appeal is still pending. The free annual report, the 30-day notice and the 5-year rule are also in the 2013 Regulations.
2020 Regulations · High Court judgment, 12 Feb 2026 · Business Daily on the 2024 stay (secondary)
Mistakes to avoid
❌ Paying someone to "delete" a listing
A correct listing stays for 5 years from settlement under the regulations. Anyone who offers to remove it for a fee is selling something the rules don’t allow. Disputing a wrong listing is free.
❌ Paying for a clearance certificate to clear your name
Creditinfo says its KSh 2,200 certificate fee is "the processing fee for a Clearance Certificate and not a fine to clear your name on CRB". A certificate reports your status; it doesn’t change it. (Creditinfo FAQ)
❌ Paying without a written record
Get the amount in writing before you pay and a paid-in-full letter after. That letter is your proof if the bureau still shows the debt as open.
After the listing: borrowing carefully
Keep any new borrowing small, and only take loans whose price and late fees are published in writing. Late fees can be steep: Zenka publishes 1.5% of outstanding principal per day of delay, and Tala a one-time 8% late fee. Our guide to loan apps without CRB check lists what licensed apps publish, with sources. Loan apps without CRB check →
What to read next
Understand how CRBs work, or see what licensed loan apps charge before you borrow again.