UPDATE 1-Kenya's Equity Bank pretax unchanged in Jan-Sept

* Raises second tier capital by 9 pct to 7.4 bln shillings

* Sees a better Q4 on impact of record tea bonuses

(Adds details, background)

NAIROBI, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Kenya's Equity Bank (EQTY.NR) said on Monday pretax profit in the first nine months of 2009 reached 4.3 billion shillings ($57.2 million), unchanged from the same period last year.

Chief Executive Officer James Mwangi attributed the performance to a respite in the bank's expansion costs as some new branches broke even. The bank had posted a 15 percent fall in pretax profit for its first half of this year.

He added the bank would post 20 percent profit growth for the full year 2009.

"Of the 35 branches we opened this year, 11 have broken even ... The bank now flattens off," Mwangi told investors.

Mwangi said Equity, which has based its strategy on services for the poor in east Africa's biggest economy, had raised its second-tier capital by 9 percent to 7.4 billion shillings.

"Equity took up ... tier 2 capital, in form of subordinated debt to strengthen the balance sheet and to cushion the bank against the rapid expansion," he said.

He added that the recent record high payouts for tea farmers would help the bank post a good final quarter of this year. [ID:nLN32604] (Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Editing by David Holmes) ($1=75.17 Kenyan Shilling)