Mombasa’s Trade Economy Drives Demand for Asset Finance

NCBA’s Johari Awards spotlight the dealers, insurers and businesses supporting trade, logistics and commercial transport along the Coast.

Mombasa’s position as a gateway for trade continues to create demand for vehicles, machinery and other productive assets.

From trucks moving cargo to specialized equipment supporting businesses, these assets keep goods and services moving across the Coast and beyond.

Financing therefore plays an important role in helping businesses acquire the equipment they need without paying the full cost upfront.

This was the focus as NCBA brought together partners from Mombasa’s motor vehicle, insurance, trade, logistics and commercial transport sectors during the NCBA Johari Awards.

Financing the Businesses That Keep Trade Moving

Mombasa is central to Kenya’s trade and logistics network.

Businesses across the region depend on commercial vehicles and equipment to move goods, serve customers and expand their operations.

For many small and medium-sized businesses, however, purchasing these assets outright can put pressure on working capital.

Asset finance provides an alternative by allowing businesses to acquire productive assets while spreading the cost over time.

“Asset finance plays a major role in keeping trade moving, connecting goods to markets and supporting the transport and logistics sector in this region,” said Lennox Mugambi, NCBA Group Director, Asset Finance and Business Solutions.

“As Kenya’s leading asset finance bank, NCBA continues to support businesses across key sectors by financing commercial vehicles, equipment, machinery and other productive assets that enable growth and economic participation.”

NCBA says it holds a 30% share of Kenya’s asset finance market. Its 2025 integrated report also shows KES52 billion in gross lending within the Asset Finance and Business Solutions business.

From Commercial Vehicles to Productive Equipment

The demand for asset finance extends beyond passenger vehicles.

Transport operators need trucks and prime movers. Logistics businesses require specialized equipment, while manufacturers need machinery to increase production.

Other businesses require cold-chain equipment and other assets to support their operations.

The financing of these assets can help businesses expand their capacity without committing all their cash to a single purchase.

NCBA’s asset finance offering covers vehicles and business equipment, with the bank also working through strategic partnerships across the sector.

Partners Form Part of the Financing Ecosystem

The Johari Awards recognize the wider network that helps connect customers with productive assets.

This includes new and pre-owned vehicle dealers, insurance partners, brokers, leasing agents and other intermediaries.

These businesses play an important role in helping customers identify assets, arrange financing and protect their investments.

NCBA’s 2025 integrated report says its Johari Awards recognise the critical role of asset finance and insurance partners in supporting the bank’s business.

The awards have therefore evolved beyond recognition. They provide a platform for NCBA to strengthen relationships across the asset finance ecosystem.

Mombasa’s Trade Economy Drives Demand for Asset Finance

Linking Business Growth With Sustainability

This year’s Johari Awards also carry a sustainability focus.

NCBA is incorporating environmental activities into the campaign, including a national tree-planting initiative involving its partners.

The bank says the initiative reflects its Ubuntu philosophy and broader sustainability agenda.

“As we celebrate the achievements of our partners and stakeholders, we are also looking ahead at the kind of growth that we want to support in the years to come,” Mugambi said.

“Sustainability reminds us that business growth and responsibility go hand in hand.”

NCBA has also been expanding its sustainability-linked asset finance partnerships. Its 2025 report highlights collaborations with electric vehicle and solar photovoltaic providers to support the growth of green technologies.

Supporting the Next Phase of Mobility

The sustainability focus comes as Kenya’s mobility ecosystem evolves.

Electric vehicles, solar solutions and other technologies are creating new opportunities for businesses and financiers.

For asset finance providers, this means supporting customers beyond conventional vehicles and equipment.

It also creates a role for dealers, insurers and other partners in helping customers understand and adopt emerging technologies.

Celebrating the People Behind the Ecosystem

The Mombasa celebration forms part of the wider NCBA Johari Awards programme, which recognizes partners supporting the bank’s asset finance and insurance businesses.

The 2026 programme will recognize more than 150 partners through regional awards and national recognition.

At the heart of the awards is a simple business reality: financing does not operate in isolation.

Dealers provide access to vehicles and equipment. Insurers protect those assets. Banks provide financing. Businesses then use the assets to move goods, serve customers, create jobs and expand.

For Mombasa, where trade and logistics remain central to economic activity, strengthening that ecosystem can help businesses acquire the productive assets needed to keep the region moving.