The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 1000 GMT on Thursday:

** Kenya’s biggest lender by assets KCB Group has offered to buy 100 percent of National Bank of Kenya through a share swap consisting of one KCB share for every 10 of National, KCB said in a letter to National Bank on Thursday.

** Canadian marijuana producer Canopy Growth Corp is close to a deal to buy U.S.-based pot firm Acreage Holdings , a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.

** German lighting group Osram said that talks with Bain Capital and Carlyle Group were continuing, after Manager Magazin said the private equity firms could walk away from a possible takeover. (Compiled by Uday Sampath in Bengaluru)