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NCBA Champions Women-Led SMEs in Agri-Food
NCBA has partnered with the African Guarantee Fund (AGF), the African Development Bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) program, Unga Group, and the SME Support Centre (SSC) to launch the NCBA–AFAWA WSMEs Acceleration Program Cohort One.
The initiative targets 38 women-led businesses in the agri-food supply, human food, and animal feeds sectors.
The year-long program will give women-owned SMEs access to markets, finance, and practical skills. By July 2026, it will have supported 80 entrepreneurs across two cohorts, unlocked USD 5 million in financing, and created at least 300 new jobs.
Building Sustainable Growth Through Partnerships
Speaking during the launch, NCBA Group Director, Retail Banking, Dennis Njau stressed the program’s importance.
“Our partnership with AGF has already granted close to KES 17 billion in loans. However, we realised that entrepreneurs needed mentorship, advanced training, and access to markets to fully thrive. This program will enable their businesses to achieve sustainable growth.”
He added that the initiative reflects NCBA’s customer-focused retail banking strategy, anchored on productivity, access to credit, technical assistance, and capacity building.
Earlier this year, NCBA https://ke.ncbagroup.com/ doubled its lending capacity to women and youth entrepreneurs from KES 1.5 billion to KES 3 billion.
Under AGF’s risk-sharing facility, the bank has disbursed nearly KES 17 billion, impacting 700 SMEs and creating more than 7,000 jobs, with 2,200 going to women.
AGF Group Director of Capacity Development, Patrick Lumumba, praised the program as holistic. “Through AFAWA, we aim not only to de-risk women-owned businesses but also to provide access to mentorship, credit, and market opportunities. This partnership with NCBA, Unga, and SSC brings that vision to life.”
Practical Exposure and Capacity Building
As the program’s learning partner, Unga Group will offer entrepreneurs practical exposure to industry practices and scaling models.
CEO James Nyutu highlighted the importance of empowering farmers, processors, and innovators. “By sharing our heritage and technical expertise, we aim to help these women scale their businesses with resilience and purpose,” he said.
The SME Support Centre will provide mentorship, training, and coaching. Its CEO, Linda Onyango, noted: “Our approach combines classroom training, factory visits to Unga, onsite assessments at the SMEs’ premises, and financial linkages with NCBA for a holistic transformation.”
With this launch, NCBA and its partners reaffirm their commitment to building an inclusive financial ecosystem that empowers women entrepreneurs while driving sustainable growth in Kenya’s agri-food sector.
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