News
FinTech Festival Kenya 2026 brings payments providers, banks, founders and investors to Sarit Centre in Westlands on 4 and 5 November. Two days goes quickly when every half hour is a meeting. It pays to plan your Nairobi stay around your meeting map, not the other way round. Here is a practical way to shape your trip, from the day you land to the follow-up meetings that often matter most.
Check availability & book direct · FinTech Festival Kenya stays at Karen Plains Hotel
Start with your meeting map
Before booking flights, write down what a successful trip looks like. For many fintech delegates, that falls into a few groups:
- Partnerships: banks, mobile money and payments players you want to integrate or co-sell with.
- Distribution: merchant acquiring, agent networks or embedded finance partners.
- Capital: investors you plan to meet at the festival or around it.
- Regulatory and interoperability conversations: sessions or people you want to hear from.
- Customers: existing clients in Nairobi who would value a visit while you are in town.
Once you have the list, sort meetings into three buckets: at the festival, elsewhere in Nairobi during the festival, and after it. That tells you how many nights to book.
How many nights?
| Your trip | Suggested stay |
|---|---|
| Attending sessions and a handful of meetings | Arrive 3 November, leave 6 November |
| Founder or BD lead with partner meetings | Add at least one follow-up day after 5 November |
| Investor or executive combining meetings with a short break | Add two days for follow-ups and a Nairobi National Park morning |
| Team running a stand or demos | Check the organiser's set-up times and add nights as needed |
You choose your own dates in our booking engine. Check-in is from 12:00 and check-out is by 10:00, with luggage storage for later flights.
A day-by-day framework
Arrival day
Land, clear the airport and head to Karen. A private transfer from JKIA is US$55 per vehicle, one way, by sedan for up to three people (see airport transfers). Use the evening to confirm meeting times and locations, and have dinner at the hotel if you would rather not go out.
Festival day one (4 November)
- Breakfast from 7:00, or a packed breakfast if you need to leave earlier.
- Head to Sarit Centre with time to spare for registration.
- Protect short gaps between sessions for notes and quick follow-ups.
- Back in Karen, send the day's follow-up emails before dinner while details are fresh.
Festival day two (5 November)
- Use the morning for your most important meetings, before diaries fill up.
- Schedule product demos where you know the connectivity and setup in advance.
- Plan how you will get back after the day's networking, and agree pickup times in advance.
Follow-up day
This is often where conversations turn into next steps. Book meetings with the people you met, at their offices or at a place that suits both sides. Our boardroom and lounge can be booked for a private conversation; ask us for rates.
Want help fitting transport around your meetings? Ask your KPH concierge on WhatsApp.
Working between meetings
A fintech trip is rarely offline. A few things make the evenings productive:
- Desk space. Every room at Karen Plains Hotel has a work desk. The Executive Room adds extra space to work, and the Deluxe Room has a proper workspace.
- Connectivity. Our Wi-Fi runs on Starlink, and a generator covers guest rooms and Wi-Fi during power cuts.
- Security. Treat any hotel, conference or café network with care. Follow your company's own security practices, such as connecting through a VPN, using company-managed devices and keeping sensitive data within approved systems.
- Meals. Lunch and dinner can be added for US$40 per day, with Kenyan, Swahili and traditional African food at the centre of our kitchen.
Getting across town
Karen is in south-west Nairobi, and Sarit Centre is in Westlands, north of the CBD, on the other side of the city. That means planning road transport each day. Journey times vary with Nairobi traffic; check a live traffic app for your schedule. We can quote transport for your meeting times, including evening returns. If you are driving yourself, there is free on-site parking.
Make time for Nairobi
If your schedule allows, a few hours away from the laptop is worth it:
- A Nairobi National Park half-day tour before a late flight.
- A visit to the nearby Giraffe Centre.
- Dinner at Cave à Manger, the wine-paired restaurant in Karen Plains Arcade, opposite the Waterfront.
- A longer safari planned with our partner Travel Corporation Limited, which quotes and operates the itinerary. Park fees are extra. See safari stays.
Plan your stay with us
Karen Plains Hotel is an independent boutique hotel in Karen, south-west Nairobi. Book your room, then tell us what would make your festival week easier: transfers, meals, transport or an extra day to explore. Your Nairobi stay, personally taken care of.
Check availability & book direct · Ask your KPH concierge on WhatsApp · FinTech Festival Kenya stays at Karen Plains Hotel
Live rates and availability are shown in our booking engine. Extras such as transfers, meals, tours and spa visits are quoted and confirmed separately. Cancellation and prepayment terms depend on the rate you choose and are shown before you pay. See our cancellation and refund policy.
Event details checked on the FinTech Festival Kenya website in September 2026. Please confirm the latest programme with the organiser. Karen Plains Hotel is independent and not affiliated with FinTech Festival Kenya.
