In Focus: Some schemes, initiatives, key programmes, funding opportunities & support systems for women in business across Kenya
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Kenya is known as – “The Cradle of Humanity” or “The Land of a Thousand Hills” (due to its diverse landscape). Here, women entrepreneurs are redefining the business landscape, making remarkable strides in diverse industries such as agriculture, technology & manufacturing. Their resilience, creativity & determination are not only fueling economic growth, but also transforming communities through job creation & innovation. However, many women entrepreneurs still face significant barriers, including limited access to financing, restrictive cultural norms & inadequate business support networks.
Kenya’s Business Boost: Empowering Women Through Strategic Support
To bridge these gaps, Kenya has developed a range of resources – designed to support women in business. From government-backed initiatives and financial programmes to mentorship networks and training platforms – these resources provide useful tools for women entrepreneurs to scale their businesses and achieve long-term success.
Organizations such as the Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) and the Kenya Association of Women Business Owners (KAWBO) – offer financial aid, business training & networking opportunities to empower women-led enterprises. Additionally, digital platforms & microfinance institutions are playing a crucial role – in expanding women’s access to capital and market opportunities.
By leveraging these resources, women entrepreneurs in Kenya can navigate challenges, unlock their full potential & contribute to a thriving and inclusive economy.
Now let us look at some schemes, initiatives, key programmes, funding opportunities & support systems that are driving change for women in business across Kenya.
> National Policy on Women’s Economic Empowerment
In March 2025, the Cabinet in Kenya sanctioned the National Policy on Women’s Economic Empowerment in a bid to promote gender equality and economic participation. It is a landmark initiative – aimed at removing systemic barriers & ensuring women’s full participation in Kenya’s economy.
It is in sync with the Constitution, Vision 2030, and the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda. The policy seeks to bridge gender gaps in financial inclusion, property ownership, skills development & market access.
The key objectives include – creating a supportive economic environment for women entrepreneurs, strengthening public-private partnerships and promoting gender- sensitive data collection to inform future interventions.
To track its progress, a monitoring framework will do that – to ensure measurable impact
on women’s economic advancement.
https://allafrica.com/stories/202503120039.html
> The African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP)
The African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) seeks to equip African businesswomen, SMEs & youth – with the tools & opportunities to accelerate the growth of their businesses, and become leaders in their communities and also drive social and economic progress in Africa.
The AWEP Kenya chapter is one of the largest business support associations for WSMEs and SMEs. The organization has grown in leaps and bounds. Today AWEP Kenya conducts – training, engages in global business fairs, partners with other institutions to promote businesses run by women, men & young people. AWEP Kenya also has individual and corporate members across the country.
Through their activities, they hope to move the obstacles to business opportunities and economic participation that African women face. They identify and build networks of women entrepreneurs across Kenya and beyond – poised to transform their societies by owning, running, and operating small and medium businesses, and by becoming voices for social advocacy in their communities.
> HerVenture in Kenya
The free business skills app called – HerVenture, operates under The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.
HerVenture has been available in Kenya since mid-2020.
HerVenture is one of the Foundation’s six flagship programmes. The business skills mobile learning app provides women entrepreneurs – with essential business knowledge and skills to successfully start up and grow their businesses.
The app delivers bite-sized lessons that women can take while on the go; and this is important as many women entrepreneurs in Kenya and have to juggle business with unpaid care and domestic work. The app can also be used offline, a key feature as only 38% of Kenya has internet coverage.
There is a massive gender gap in formal business ownership in In Kenya. Kenyan women entrepreneurs – often lack access to the business development services that could support them to thrive; and this creates an even wider gender gap.
HerVenture features a range of learning tracks, which were developed with local partners to address the specific needs of women entrepreneurs in Kenya. Topics include – launching a business, accessing finance, expanding market access and e-commerce. Presently in Kenya, there are no other mobile apps that are specifically designed for women entrepreneurs at the start-up stages of their business lifecycle.
https://cherieblairfoundation.org/what-we-do/projects/herventure-kenya/
> Sourcing2Equal Kenya
When Absa Bank Kenya (one of the country’s largest banks) wanted to include more women-owned businesses in their supply chain, they turned to International Finance Corporation (IFC) and its Sourcing2Equal Program.
Launched in 2021 Sourcing2Equal Kenya is a three-year project, implemented by IFC with the support of the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) and Norway – to advance gender-inclusive sourcing in Kenya.
Sourcing2Equal Kenya supports the growth of Kenyan Women-led Small and Medium Enterprises (WSMEs) – by increasing both their access to corporate procurement opportunities & by building the capacity of corporates to increase their procurement of goods and services from WSMEs.
Overall, the impact has been great.
https://www.ifc.org/en/interviews/2025/banking-on-women-run-businesses-in-kenya
> Kianda Foundation
Kianda Foundation’s programmes empower women, foster community development & create meaningful change.
Kianda Foundation is a non-profit Educational Trust established on 9th January 1961. Their main objective is to promote the education and welfare of women in Kenya. They achieve this through the establishment and management of schools, colleges &training centres for both women and girls, promoting their general education.
So, they are committed to transforming lives – by empowering women, strengthening communities & creating opportunities for lasting change. They work hand-in-hand with women entrepreneurs, students & families, equipping them with the tools, resources, and skills they need to thrive.
They don’t just provide support; quite interestingly, they listen, learn & co-create solutions that address real challenges – ensuring sustainable impact for generations to come.
https://www.kiandafoundation.org
> Women Enterprise Fund (WEF)
Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) was established in August 2007 – to provide accessible and affordable credit to support women start and/or expand business for wealth and employment creation.
The role of entrepreneurship and an entrepreneurial culture in economic and social development has often been overlooked. Over the years, however, it has become increasingly apparent that entrepreneurship indeed contributes to economic development.
The idea and practice of women entrepreneurship is a recent phenomenon. The Women Enterprise Fund was therefore set up by the Kenyan government to benefit women aged above 18 years, meaning any woman can apply, whether she is part of a group or as an individual.
The government of Kenya has been trying to reduce the gender imbalance by providing fiscal support to women to raise their earnings and reduce the gap in estimated earned incomes between men and women, a strategy that the government is implementing under the Vision 2030.
The Kenyan government offers the Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) – to help women entrepreneurs access credit, start businesses & grow their wealth.
How does WEF help women entrepreneurs?
It provides affordable credit to women, helps women grow their businesses and create wealth for themselves and the country, allows women to borrow money without collateral and also to borrow money without dealing with complex bureaucratic processes.
Their Vision is – “A Sustainable Fund Empowering Kenyan Women for Social Economic Development”.
And their Mission points out – “To Offer Accessible and Affordable Financial and Innovative Business Support Services to Kenyan Women for Transformed Livelihoods through Resources Mobilization, Collaborations, and Partnerships”.
The mandates of the Fund as outlined are:
– Provide subsidized credit to Kenyan women entrepreneurs for enterprise development.
– Capacity building of women entrepreneurs and their organizations.
– Attract and facilitate investment in micro, small and medium enterprises oriented infrastructure such as business markets or business incubators that will be beneficial to women enterprises.
– Support women oriented micro, small and medium enterprises to develop linkages with large enterprises.
– Facilitate marketing of products and services of women enterprises in both domestic and international markets
Products & Services
WEF offers loans of different kinds to the women entrepreneurs with the Tuinuke Loan
being the most common type.
– Tuinuke Loan: This is a loan product at the constituency level or otherwise known as Constituency Women Enterprise Scheme (CWES), given out through registered women groups interested in expanding or starting new businesses. This loan is interest-free, with only 5% administrative fee with a grace period of 1 month. The loan amounts given, graduation principle and the repayment period are given to the loanees. The loan application forms are available for free from WEF’s Regional Offices based at all provincial headquarters, the Main Head Quarters and online at the Fund’s website.
– LPO Financing: Local Purchase Order Financing (LPO Financing) is another loan product offered by WEF to serve women by increasing their capacity to respond and adequately service tenders thus meeting supply requirements. The loan is available to individual women owning enterprises or women owned companies.
– Bid Bond Financing/Tender Security: This is a loan product initiated by WEF to aid women in Kenya in achieving requirements of the tendering process. The product is available to individual women who may own enterprises or women owned companies issued at WEF head office. The bid bonds are currently offered to women within Nairobi County and its outskirts.
– Capacity Building: This is another product offered by the Fund. WEF achieves capacity building of women entrepreneurs through the volunteerism concept. The volunteers are based at the constituency level and their roles include recruiting women, training them and monitoring their projects and loan repayments. The training curriculum covers various areas including: Business skills, Market Access, Basic ICT skills. It is incumbent upon the volunteers to conduct the trainings of women in their group set ups at constituency level. This enables the
Fund to achieve capacity building at a high level.
https://www.kenpro.org/an-overview-of-women-enterprise-fund-in-kenya/
https://wef.go.ke/
> 7 Sources of Funding for Kenyan Entrepreneurs by the Government
Youth Enterprise Development Fund
This is arguably the most renowned of our government’s initiatives. It’s a core part of realizing Vision 2030. The Youth Fund was established in 2006, aiming to avail opportunities for Kenyan youth.
The government eyes fostering entrepreneurship as a tool in dealing with youth unemployment. And, the fund is open to those aged between 18-35 years old.
Uwezo Fund
Created in 2013, Uwezo Fund has a wide scope. It is an empowerment program, that was driven to benefit women, youth and persons with disability.
It offers capital and mentorship to entrepreneurs with the primary aims of achieving gender equality and eradicating poverty. Its loans range from sh.50,000-500,000 at a time.
Women Enterprise Fund
This intiative is tied to the Ministry of Gender. Women Enterprise Fund not only offers credit to women entrepreneurs, but also markets the goods & services produced by them.
Keeping in line with the social motivation of these government funds; it aims to make women financially independent.
ICDC
The Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation (ICDC) is 60-years old. It plays an important role in the Vision 2030 quest.
It avails funding for Kenyan entrepreneurs through medium and long term financing. The main task of ICDC is – to give a boost to industrial development in Kenya. ICDC offers venture capital, joint-ventures, commercial loans and asset financing.
Kenya Industrial Estates (KIE)
Like ICDC, KIE is joined to the Ministry of Industrialization. The Kenyan Government is aware that industrialization – is the key to reaching developed status.
And KIE is driven to indigenize industry in Kenya. It provides industrial sheds, subsidizes credit and improves entrepreneurial skills of small to medium size enterprises. KIE offers Jua Kali sector loans of between sh.100,000-500,000 and to medium enterprises it offers up to 14 million shillings.
Industrial Development Bank (IDB)
IDB has been in existence for a long time as it was established in 1973. It offers secured loans for medium and large industrial enterprises. The loans come in various forms; be it project and asset financing or even hire purchase. So, IDB will actually assist you to establish or expand your business.
Agriculture Finance Corporation (AFC)
Agriculture is still the backbone of Kenya’s lauded diversified economy. So, it’s logical to have an agriculture specific fund.
AFC was initially set up to enable transfer of land to Kenyan farmers in post- independence Kenya. Today it offers credit to the agricultural entrepreneurs.
https://www.herbusiness.co.ke/public-sources-of-funding-for-kenyan-entrepreneurs/
Avtar Madan
Himanshu
Shree Lahiri
Poonam Sinha
