Nairobi, Nov. 29 -- The number of Kenyans investing though unit trusts more than doubled to 2.96 million in the 12 months to September, highlighting the surge in awareness and demand for the collective investment products. This wasa growth from 1.29 million investors a year earlier.

Latest Capital Markets Authority (CMA) data shows that growth of investor numbers in unit trusts has accelerated this year, partly driven by the rising investment in special funds, which have offered investors an opportunity to diversify their portfolios in a period of falling interest rates.

As investor numbers grow, the collective investment schemes saw their assets under management jump by 115 percent to a record high of Sh679.6 billion at the end of Sept...