CBK starts hiring virtual asset supervisors before the VASP rules are final

The Central Bank of Kenya advertised senior and managerial roles for virtual asset licensing and compliance functions in late April 2026, applications closing 18 May, before the VASP Regulations had even been finalised. Regulators do not staff functions they intend to leave dormant. The hiring confirms the division of labour under Kenya's dual-regulator model: the CBK takes payment-side VASPs, stablecoin issuers and custodial services, while the CMA supervises exchanges, brokers and tokenisation platforms. It also signals timing. A central bank recruiting supervisors in April expects to be supervising within months, which points to licensing applications opening in Q3 2026, squeezed against the VASP Act's 4 November 2026 compliance deadline for existing operators. Exchanges and custody platforms with Kenya operations should be budgeting for licensing now, not when the final regulations publish.