NAIROBI, Oct 14 (Reuters) -

Kenya's central bank said on Monday that it had authorised

JPMorgan Chase ( JPM ) to establish a representative office in

the East African country.

Representative offices of foreign banks in Kenya serve as

marketing and liaison hubs for their parent banks and

affiliates, the Central Bank of Kenya said in a statement.

The JPMorgan Chase ( JPM ) representative office will contribute

to the diversity of Kenya's financial sector and catalyse trade

and investments, the statement added.

Reuters

reported last month

, citing four sources familiar with the matter, that

JPMorgan Chase's ( JPM ) CEO Jamie Dimon planned to travel to Africa in

mid-October in a push by the biggest U.S. lender to expand on

the continent.