Thirty-eight entrepreneurs have graduated from the NCBA SME Training Programme, a powerful initiative aimed at equipping small and medium business owners with practical skills to grow and sustain their enterprises in a competitive market.
This impactful capacity-building effort, jointly delivered by NCBA Group and Strathmore Business School (SBS), represents a key milestone in NCBA’s broader SME banking strategy. The graduating cohort featured business owners from diverse sectors such as manufacturing, retail, agribusiness, logistics, and professional services.
NCBA SME Training Programme: Empowering Business Growth
The NCBA SME Training Programme is designed to empower NCBA customers through a rigorous six-month course, featuring both academic instruction and hands-on learning. Entrepreneurs benefit from sessions on financial management, operations, marketing, digital transformation, and business model innovation.
“Through this programme, we aim to scale SME capabilities and offer much more than financial support. We’re here to help businesses thrive in any economic environment,” said Mr. Dennis Njau, Acting Group Director of Retail Banking at NCBA.
Strategic Partnerships for Sustainability
This graduation follows NCBA’s renewed 10-year partnership with the African Guarantee Fund (AGF), which has doubled the institution’s SME lending capacity from KES 1.5 billion to KES 3 billion. This funding addresses common SME challenges such as limited access to financing.
“The timing of this graduation is significant,” noted Mr. Njau. “It aligns with our continued push for financial inclusion and capacity-building among Kenya’s entrepreneurial community.”
Institutional Collaboration Driving Impact
Dr. Caesar Mwangi, Executive Dean at Strathmore Business School, emphasized the programme’s contextualised learning model tailored to Kenya’s business environment.
“Our collaboration with NCBA provides relevant and transformative learning experiences that address the real-world challenges SMEs face today,” said Dr. Mwangi.
Who Qualifies for the Next Cohort?
NCBA encourages eligible customers to apply for the next intake beginning on 10th June 2025. To qualify, participants must;
● Be an NCBA customer with an active business account that has been operational
for at least six months.
● Have a business that has been operating for two to three years, employs more
than three people, and has an annual turnover of KES 3 million or more.
● Be the primary decision-maker in the business and the majority shareholder.
A Continued Commitment to SME Empowerment
In addition to the NCBA SME Training Programme, the bank works closely with Strathmore Business School through the Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation Centre to provide business boot camps, conferences, trade expos, and thought leadership forums that support long-term SME success.
As more businesses graduate from these programmes, NCBA cements its role not just as a financier, but as a vital partner in Kenya’s SME ecosystem.
