In a milestone moment for Kenya’s SME sector, NCBA Group and Strathmore Business School (SBS)have jointly celebrated the graduation of 38 small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) owners from the Enterprise Development Programme (E DP), a six month capacity-building initiative aimed at equipping entrepreneurs with the tools to scale sustainably.
The graduating cohort included business leaders from diverse industries such as manufacturing agribusiness, logistics, retail, and professional services, a testament to the programme’s broad relevance and impact across Kenya’s economic landscape.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dennis Njau, NCBA’s acting group Director for Retail Banking , reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to empowering SME customers through access to capital but also through education and partnerships.
“We are delighted to empower our SME customers through this programme. We are hopeful that these skills will be helpful to them in scaling the enterprises as they navigate the dynamic business environment,” said Mr. Njau.
The EDP is part of NCBA’s broader SME banking strategy, designed to provide practical training in areas such as financial management, marketing, operations, business model innovation, and digital transformation. It leverages peer-to-peer learning, real-life case studies, and market insights.
This year’s graduation also comes in the wake of NCBA’s renewed partnership with the African Guarantee Fund (AGF), which doubled the bank’s SME lending capacity from KES 1.5 billion to KES 3 billion, a move toward bridging financing gaps for growing enterprises.
“This graduation comes at an opportune moment,” Mr. Njau added. “The renewed partnership with AGF reflects our commitment to eliminating barriers to SME financing and expanding our capacity-building initiatives.”
Dr. Caesar Mwangi, Executive Dean at Strathmore Business School, emphasized the program’s role in fostering practical and scalable business solutions.
“We are proud of the collaboration we have with NCBA and its impact on the business community. This programme is designed to deliver meaningful and contextualized learning experiences that address actual business challenges facing SMEs in Kenya today,” Dr. Mwangi noted.
So far, over 100 NCBA customers have benefited from the EDP, with the next cohort set to begin on June 10, 2025.
Eligibility for Upcoming Cohort:
- Be an NCBA customer with an active business account (6+ months)
- Business must be 2–3 years old, employ at least 3 people, and have an annual turnover of KES 3M+
- Be the primary decision-maker and majority shareholder in the business
NCBA and Strathmore also partner through the Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation Centre, which hosts a range of SME-focused events including boot camps, expos, business training forums, and the Owners Management Programme.
As NCBA and Strathmore Business School continue to nurture a new generation of agile, informed, and resilient entrepreneurs, the Enterprise Development Programme stands out as a proven blueprint for real-world SME empowerment. With strategic training, access to capital, and mentorship at its core, this partnership is not only growing businesses, it’s shaping Kenya’s economic future, one entrepreneur at a time.
