The Distressing Effect of Non-Performing Assets to Asset Quality for Commercial Banks in Kenya

Non-performing Assets is a ratio necessary when identifying financial distress effect on asset quality of financial institutions in Kenya specifically commercial banks in Kenya. Financial distress and asset quality have often been discussed separately in details, but not as satisfactorily this is because of its role of asset quality on distress risk levels of commercial banks. The current research established the distressing effect of non-performing assets on asset quality of Kenyan commercial banks. Nonloan ratio was represented by two variables: Non-performing assets to total loans ratio and Loan loss provision ratio. Thirty-eight Kenyan commercial banks were used for analysis for an eleven year period (2005-2015). Financial statements of commercial banks from CBK was used to extract secondary data for analysis. Results indicated that there a relationship between financial performance and capital adequacy regarding financial distress risk level. A correlation and panel regression analyses were carried out mainly to determine whether there was a relationship of non-performing assets and asset quality of commercial banks in Kenya, the outcome of the study indicated a positive relationship between Non-performing assets and asset quality. This study specifically gives a mindful and sense of reference to the depositor, all banking institutions including the commercial banks and policy-makers to high standards of asset quality by ensuring proper additional guidelines and controls are put in place to guard against non-performing loans.