In my humble estimation, UBA's initial strategy was to go for the corporate segment of the market but found the going tough with the likes of Barclays, StanChart,CFC, I&M already established. Plus their branch network is nothing to write home about. They should advertise more to increase their brand visibility.
Eco Bank have realised that retail banking is the way to go in Kenya and this can be evidenced by their new strategy of trying to encourage more people to open accounts with them. Their branch footprint is also wider as compared to UBA's.
In this economy, volumes, not margins, determine if you'll open shop tomorrow.
#thatisall