NCBA Bank and Strathmore Business School (SBS) have celebrated the graduation of 38 entrepreneurs from their flagship Enterprise Development Programme (EDP).
The graduates, drawn from a variety of sectors including manufacturing, agribusiness, retail, logistics, and professional services, completed a six-month course designed to sharpen their leadership, strategy, and operational capabilities. The programme reflects NCBA’s broader commitment to not just financing SMEs, but also helping them build strong, resilient businesses.
“We are delighted to empower our SME customers through this programme,” said Dennis Njau, Acting Group Director for Retail Banking at NCBA. “Our goal is to equip entrepreneurs with the tools and mindset needed to scale and thrive, even in a challenging economy.”
The EDP is part of NCBA’s long-term SME banking strategy, which focuses on strengthening the country’s economic backbone, small and medium-sized enterprises, through both capital and capacity-building. In partnership with Strathmore Business School, the bank has created a curriculum that blends academic rigor with practical training in financial management, digital transformation, operations, marketing, and business model innovation.
The programme also offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn from their peers, build networks, and gain insights into real-world business challenges through hands-on, contextualised learning.
“This is a partnership that works,” said Dr. Caesar Mwangi, Executive Dean at Strathmore University Business School. “Our collaboration with NCBA is delivering tangible impact. The EDP is tailored for today’s business environment and helps SMEs navigate the unique hurdles they face locally.”
This graduation comes on the heels of another major milestone for NCBA — the renewal of its 10-year partnership with the African Guarantee Fund (AGF). The renewed partnership has doubled NCBA’s lending capacity from KES 1.5 billion to KES 3 billion, directly addressing the persistent financing gap that many SMEs face.
According to Njau, this financing boost will help more entrepreneurs secure the funds they need to grow while programs like the EDP ensure they know how to put that capital to work wisely.
Over 100 NCBA customers have now benefited from the Enterprise Development Programme, and the bank is inviting more entrepreneurs to apply for the next cohort, set to begin on June 10, 2025.
To qualify, applicants must:
- Be an NCBA customer with an active business account operating for at least six months.
- Have a business that has been running for 2–3 years, employs at least three people, and has an annual turnover of KES 3 million or more.
- Be the primary decision-maker and majority shareholder in the business.
Beyond EDP, NCBA and SBS continue to collaborate on a variety of capacity-building efforts through the Strathmore Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation Centre, including boot camps, trade expos, leadership forums, and executive training.
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