- MSMES under KBA training program have accessed loans worth Sh.5.84 Billion since 2018.
- Over 7,000 MSMEs have accessed bank loans under KBA capacity building programme.
Nairobi, 8th March 2024: Banks extended credit worth over Sh.5.5 Billion to Micro Small and Medium Enterprises across the country over the last five years. This is according to a report by industry umbrella body Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) which also indicates that by close of January 2024, 7,000 MSMEs had accessed loans from commercial banks in the country.
The report surveyed MSMEs under the Inuka Enterprise Program, coordinated by KBA on behalf of the banking industry, to build capacity among small enterprises and enable them to formalize and optimize operations and access bank credit. The program was launched by the banking industry in 2018.
Speaking during the report’s launch today, KBA CEO Dr. Habil Olaka said the programme has facilitated business networking and coaching among MSMEs across the country at the constituency and county levels.
‘’I am glad that 71 percent of MSMEs that could previously not access bank finance have been supported to access credit under the programme. The businesses have had their credit applications after the programme approved either in full or in part, a testament that the programme has enhanced access to bank finance for viable businesses.
According to the report, 82 percent of beneficiaries of the programme have a KRA PIN while 48 percent of the businesses are formally registered with the Business Registration Services (BRS), with 60 percent of the Inuka enterprises associating their registration with participation in the industry program.
‘’Training aspect as an enabler of access to finance is essential. It is however not sufficient unless mapped with other constraints that are exogenous to the enterprises such as market access issues and firms’ competitiveness limiting. Without these additional dimensions, the program’s promotion of access will not translate to enhanced usage of financial services’’, the report recommends.
About the Kenya Bankers Association:
KBA (www.kba.co.ke) was founded on 16th July 1962. Today, KBA is the financial sector’s leading advocacy group and banking industry umbrella body that represents total assets in excess of USD 60 billion. KBA has evolved and broadened its function to include advocacy on behalf of the banking industry and championing financial sector development through strategic projects such as the launch of the industry’s first P2P digital payments platform PesaLink. In line with the Government’s policy on public-private partnerships, KBA and Central Bank of Kenya have implemented key projects such as modernization of the National Payments System through the Automated Clearing House, implementing the Real Time Gross Settlement System (RTGS), and the Kenya Credit Information Sharing Initiative. The KBA members are comprised of commercial banks and deposit taking microfinance banks. For more information, visit www.kba.co.ke.
Media Contacts:
Dr. Samuel Tiriongo
Director, Centre for Research on Finacial Markets and Policy
Email: stiriongo@kba.co.ke
