Kenyan Banks Surpass MSME Lending Target, Unlocking KShs 19 Trillion Green Economy – The Kenyan Wall Street
Kenya’s banking sector has surpassed its annual commitment to lend KShs 150 billion to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), disbursing KSh 153 billion so far this year, according to the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA).
- The announcement was made during the launch of the Assessment of Nature-Related Financing and Investment Opportunities in Kenya, which identifies KShs 19.4 trillion (US$ 100-150 billion) worth of nature-related investment opportunities in Kenya over the next decade.
- KBA Chief Executive Officer Raimond Molenje said the sector is now aligning MSME support with nature financing to build a resilient green economy.
- The report, developed by Rebel in partnership with KBA, WWF-Kenya, and GIZ, highlights innovative financing tools such as green bonds, blended finance, and guarantees as essential to unlocking nature-positive investments.
” As we configure survival, we must integrate opportunities in nature finance to sustain growth and contribute to the global target of full biodiversity recovery by 2050,” Molenje said.
To accelerate this, KBA also launched the KBA Centre for Sustainable Finance and Enterprise Development (CSFED), which will serve as a hub for advancing sustainable banking practices and supporting MSME transformation through capacity building and affordable green financing.
WWF-Kenya CEO Mohamed Awer emphasized the stakes, noting that nature-based sectors- including agriculture, tourism, forestry, and fisheries- contribute about 42% of Kenya’s GDP.
“This report showcases the intersectional role the financial sector plays in driving a nature-positive economy and how we can close the biodiversity finance gap,” Awer said.
The report calls for stronger policy support, better data, and enhanced technical expertise to scale nature-based financing in Kenya. With agriculture alone requiring up to US$ 2 billion in investments over the next two years, the study suggests that Kenya’s green economy could be a frontier for both economic growth and climate resilience.
