Equity Bank Pushes Narok SMEs Towards Global Markets

The bank is focusing on value addition, market linkages and flexible financing to help local businesses move beyond raw production.

Equity Bank is stepping up efforts to connect local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to wider markets.

The bank is shifting more attention towards value addition and market linkages. The goal is to help grassroots businesses move beyond selling raw materials.

The strategy took centre stage during a business dinner involving Equity Bank executives, the Narok County Government and local businesses.

Narok has traditionally relied on tourism around the Maasai Mara National Reserve and rain-fed wheat farming. However, livestock, trade and tourism are now driving wider commercial growth in the county.

From Production to Value Addition

Equity Bank Managing Director Moses Nyabanda said farmers need to look beyond increasing production.

Instead, he called for greater focus on smart agriculture and access to markets.

“We are seeing farmers adopting smart agriculture, moving away from how our forefathers farmed,” Nyabanda said.

“But we do not just want to increase yields; we want to connect you to the market.”

He gave livestock farming as an example.

The bank wants farmers to access markets for processed leather products rather than selling raw hides at lower prices.

This approach could help local businesses capture more value from their products. It could also create stronger links between grassroots enterprises and global supply chains.

Faster Financing for Farmers

Equity also plans to align agricultural lending with local crop cycles.

Nyabanda committed to a two-week turnaround for agricultural credit. This would help farmers access financing in time for planting seasons.

Meanwhile, Equity Bank Commercial Director Kagiso Moloi highlighted Narok’s growing business activity.

“Narok is not a small market to us,” he said.

“Livestock business is growing, trade is growing, and tourism is growing.”

He added that the bank’s role is to support this growth by moving money quickly and safely.

More Financing Options for SMEs

Equity is also using asset finance and unsecured lending to support expanding businesses.

Equity Bank Kenya Head of Retail and Branch Business Carol Rutto said customers can access financing of up to 105% for tractors and commercial trucks.

The bank also offers unsecured loans of up to Sh10 million without requiring collateral, she said.

These financing options can help businesses acquire equipment and expand their operations.

For farmers and entrepreneurs, flexible lending can also address some of the barriers that have traditionally limited access to credit.

Moving Beyond Collateral-Based Lending

Veteran farmer Okipira Ole Tutai recalled the difficulties he faced when he started his agribusiness journey in 1985.

He said state-backed financiers required title deeds before extending credit. For young farmers operating on communally held land, accessing such documents was difficult.

“From 1985 to 1994, I had never received a loan anywhere,” Tutai recalled.

“With state financiers, you had to have a title deed, which we didn’t have as young men. There was simply no way to access credit.”

However, he said flexible, cash-flow-based lending later helped farmers expand their businesses.

Such financing enabled some farmers to move from subsistence activities into commercial operations. It also helped them acquire tractors and commercial property.

Lessons From the Covid-19 Period

Flexible financing has also helped businesses manage periods of economic pressure.

Education investors in Narok pointed to loan moratoriums during the Covid-19 pandemic as an important intervention.

The repayment breaks helped some private schools remain operational during the economic disruption.

Later, some institutions used bank financing to acquire land and develop new infrastructure.

At the same time, increased lending has brought renewed attention to loan repayment and recovery.

Equity Bank Pushes Narok SMEs Towards Global Markets

Calls for More Flexible Loan Recovery

Narok County Executive Committee Member for Finance David Ole Muntet urged banks to consider more flexible approaches when dealing with borrowers facing difficulties.

“Borrowing is a wedding, but paying back can feel like a funeral,” Muntet said.

He acknowledged that borrowers have a responsibility to repay their loans. However, he called on banks to explore alternatives before moving to property auctions.

“There is always a way out,” he said.

As Narok’s economy expands, Equity Bank is positioning financing as one part of a broader enterprise growth strategy.

The focus now extends beyond providing credit. It also includes helping businesses improve production, access markets and capture more value from what they produce.