NCBA Boosts Women-Led Agri-Food SMEs Through Key Partnerships

NCBA has partnered with the African Guarantee Fund (AGF), Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) program of the African Development Bank, Unga Group, and the SME Support Centre to launch the NCBA–AFAWA WSMEs Acceleration Program Cohort One, which targets 38 businesswomen in the agri-food supply, human food, and animal feeds sectors.

The program, which will run for one year, will provide women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises access to markets, finance, and skills. By its completion in July 2026, the program will have supported 80 women entrepreneurs across two cohorts, unlocking USD 5 million in financing and creating at least 300 new jobs.

Speaking during the launch, NCBA Group Director, Retail Banking, Dennis Njau emphasised the importance of such programs. “Our partnership with AGF has successfully granted close to KES 17 billion in loans. However, we realised that these entrepreneurs needed mentorship, advanced training, and access to markets to fully thrive. This approach will enable their businesses to achieve sustainable growth.”

“The partnership is a clear demonstration of our customer-centric retail banking strategy in motion, anchored on enabling productivity, deepening access to credit, technical assistance, and capacity building; and building solutions around what truly matters to our customers. We are pleased to roll out this initiative, with like-minded partners such as AGF, Unga Group, and SSC, as it enhances our lending and capacity building programmes for SMEs, particularly those owned by women and young entrepreneurs,” Dennis Njau added.

Earlier this year, NCBA renewed its partnership with AGF, doubling its lending capacity to women and youth entrepreneurs from KES 1.5 billion to KES 3 billion. Under AGF’s risk-sharing facility, NCBA has disbursed close to KES 17 billion in loans cumulatively, impacting 700 SMEs and supporting the creation of over 7,000 jobs, 2,200 targeting women.

AGF Group Director of Capacity Development, Patrick Lumumba, commended the program for being holistic. “Through AFAWA, we’re trying to not only de-risk women-owned businesses but also give them access to credit, mentorship, and market opportunities they need to grow. Our partnership with NCBA, Unga, and SSC is an example of that commitment in action.”

As the program’s learning partner, Unga Group will provide exposure to industry practice and scaling models to participating entrepreneurs. SME Support Centre, on the other hand, will lead in the provision of mentorship, training, and coaching for all the participants.

James Nyutu, CEO of Unga Group, said: “We are excited to welcome these ambitious entrepreneurs through our doors. At Unga Group, we believe that sustainable transformation in the agri-food sector starts with empowering those at its core — our farmers, processors, and innovators. By sharing our heritage, technical expertise, and commitment to responsible production, we aim to inspire these women to scale their businesses with resilience and purpose. Through this partnership, we are not only supporting individual entrepreneurs but also strengthening the agri-food ecosystem in alignment with our long-term sustainability goals. Together with our partners, we are cultivating a future where women-led enterprises are central to building food security, inclusive growth, and a more sustainable Kenya.”

“This one-of-a-kind acceleration program is designed to support the women-owned enterprises to access skills, markets, and finance through an integrated approach. The SME Support Centre is adopting a holistic training and capacity building approach combining classroom training with practical factory visits to Unga Group, onsite capacity assessment visits to the WSMEs premises, and financial linkages with NCBA for an all-rounded business transformation experience”, noted the CEO of SSC, Linda Onyango.

With this launch, NCBA and its partners reaffirm their commitment to building an inclusive financial ecosystem that empowers women entrepreneurs and drives sustainable economic growth across Kenya.

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