NCBA has reinforced its commitment to elevating and empowering Kenya’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) sector. The lender recently celebrated a new cohort of twenty four SME customers, who successfully completed the Strathmore business school enterprise development programme.
This year’s class comprised business owners from key sectors of the economy including : manufacturing, retail, agribusiness, construction, logistics and professional services. The programme continues to attract ambitious entrepreneurs who are keen on strengthening their leadership and scale their businesses sustainably.
Practical knowledge
Speaking during the ceremony, the group director retail banking, Dennis Njau, congratulated the graduands and reaffirmed NCBA’s continued support for SMEs. He said : “We believe that when entrepreneurs grow, the country grows. This programme gives our customers the practical knowledge, confidence and partnerships they need to take bold steps in their businesses. NCBA remains committed to walking this journey with them through capacity building and strong financial solutions.”
The enterprise development programme is a core part of NCBA’s SME banking strategy and is designed to equip business owners with strong leadership skills and practical tools for growth. It helps entrepreneurs build resilience and to sharpen their strategy. Additionally, it gives them the confidence to navigate the ever-changing business environment.
Njau highlighted NCBA’s growing ecosystem of SME support. This includes financial solutions enhanced by strategic partnerships such as the Africa Guarantee Fund, AFAWA, Water.Org and Proparco. These partnerships help NCBA reduce risk, improve access to credit and support entrepreneurs in key areas such as women-led business growth, climate resilience and water and sanitation financing. They also strengthen NCBA’s ability to lend more effectively to SMEs that are ready to scale.
The programme runs for sixteen weeks and combines academic learning with practical coaching. It covers financial management operations, marketing, innovation, leadership and digital transformation. Participants also benefit from networking, peer learning and exposure to real market insights. Over the years, it has delivered measurable impact for more than three hundred NCBA customers.
Strathmore business school acknowledged the strong collaboration with NCBA and the shared commitment to building a vibrant SME sector. The institution reiterated its mission to deliver practical learning experiences that address the real challenges entrepreneurs face today.
Future cohorts
To join future cohorts, applicants must be NCBA customers operating a business account that has been active for at least six months. The business should have been in operation for at least two years. Additionally, it should have at least three employees and an annual turnover of at least three million shillings. Applicants must also be the primary decision makers in their businesses.
NCBA and Strathmore business school continue to collaborate through the entrepreneurship development and innovation centre. Together, they deliver additional initiatives which include the owner manager programme, business boot camps, networking forums, trade expos and industry conferences. All these initiatives are designed to empower SMEs and MSMEs to grow sustainably and confidently.
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