An independent trust dedicated to the achievement of a financial system that delivers value for a green and inclusive digital economy
Nairobi, Kenya
Joined November 2011
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As development finance tightens globally, delivering sustainable outcomes increasingly depends on whether programmes can mobilise capital, not only spend it.
That is the context in which Financial Sector Deepening Kenya (FSD Kenya), with support from the @UKinKenya has been implementing the SustainableUrban Economic Development (SUED) programme.
SUED is fundamentally an economic development programme, but its approach is also a practical example of financial sector deepening in action: strengthening the enabling environment for finance, improving the quality of investable opportunities, reducing transaction costs and risk, and crowding in private capital to support productive, climate-smart growth.
Duncan Oyaro, Wanza Mbole and Terry Wyer explain how the SUED programme is translating planning into finance, and finance into jobs in this blog: fsdkenya.org/blogs-publicati…
FSD Kenya retweeted
Good ideas are everywhere. But how do we take them to scale?
At #FINAS2026, @FSDKe convened a powerful discussion on “Unlocking Sustainable Food Systems through Green Infrastructure and County-Level Investment Pipeline.”
From bankable climate projects to county collaboration, resilient infrastructure and solar-powered irrigation, the focus was on moving promising solutions from pilots to scale.
Watch the highlights.
#FoodSystems #ClimateFinance #AgriculturalFinance
What does it really take for economic opportunities to work at the last mile in Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands?
Sustainable Urban Economic Development (SUED)'s programme lead @dunoyaro reflects on the often overlooked challenge of working capital within local value chains and why financing mechanisms such as prepayments and revolving funds matter for inclusive growth, climate resilience, and financial inclusion.
He explores lessons emerging from the gum arabic value chain in northern Kenya, and argues that Kenya's Arid and Semi-Arid Lands should be viewed as economic systems rich with resilience, innovation, and opportunity.
Read the full blog here: fsdkenya.org/blogs-publicati… #GoFarGoTogether #SUEDKenya #FinancialInclusion #ClimateResilience #ASALs #InclusiveGrowth #EconomicDevelopment #UKInternationalDevelopment
Kenya’s persistent shortfalls in every day food items such as eggs, milk, fish and honey present immediate, commercially viable entry points for rural youth, but unlocking these opportunities requires a shift in how finance is designed for agri-food systems as well as investment in capacity development of youth led agri-enterprises.
The Green Finance for Youth Employment (GFYE) food systems analysis, published in May this year, examined five priority value chains across 14 counties. The value chains analysed in the study were dairy, horticulture, poultry, fisheries and aquaculture, and apiculture.
The analysis revealed persistent supply gaps across all these five value chains, documenting Kenya’s annual deficit of 5 billion eggs; 6.5 to 7.5 billion litres of milk; 340,000 metric tonnes of fish; and 5,500 metric tonnes of honey.
These shortfalls are largely met through imports, signal immediate market opportunities for domestic production by youth-led enterprises.
Read the full report for more about the study, the findings, and the recommendations here: fsdkenya.org/blogs-publicati…
#InternationalYouthDay #YouthEmployment #GreenFinance #Agriculture
FSD Kenya is recruiting for the role of Head of thought leadership.
The successful candidate will provide strategic leadership in market information, research, impact, and strategic communications. Additionally, the Head of thought leadership will be part of the senior management team tasked with providing organisational leadership and allocating resources across pillars.
Click here for more information about the role and how to apply: fsdkenya.org/jobs/head-of-th…
New analysis of data from the 2024 FinAccess Household Survey points to a persistent gap in Kenya's insurance market: only 6.3% of adults have private insurance in their own name.
The bigger story, however, is not the low uptake, it is who is being left behind.
The analysis finds that insurance exclusion is strongly shaped by gender and geography, with women consistently less likely to have cover and some counties facing far higher levels of exclusion than others.
These patterns matter because insurance is more than a financial product. It is a tool that helps households and businesses absorb shocks and recover when things go wrong.
The analysis also highlights the value of going beyond headline statistics. Better use of demand-side and supply-side data can help providers understand who is being served, where gaps persist and how products can be designed to meet the realities of women's lives and businesses.
The findings come as Kenya moves from commitments to implementation of the WE Finance Code. While discussions on women's financial inclusion often focus on credit, resilience deserves equal attention. Without effective risk protection, gains made through savings, investment or borrowing can be quickly undone.
Read the full blog here: fsdkenya.org/blogs-publicati…
FSD Kenya invites bidders to submit applications to be considered for the supply of goods/provision of services in one or more categories for its Nairobi based office, for the period 2026-2029.
Interested bidders should submit ALL the mandatory documents in the TOR document below via FSD Kenya's vendor portal on or before Monday, August 24th 2026, at 1600 HRS (EAT).
If you have any clarification questions, please email us at [email protected] no later than 31st July, 2026.
Tender security is NOT required. Issuance of this request for prequalification in no way obligates FSD Kenya to prequalify or award a contract. Applicants will not be reimbursed for any costs associated with their application for prequalification.
More: fsdkenya.org/opportunities-t…
FSD Kenya retweeted
Last week today, we kicked off #FINAS2026 Summit at KICC, Nairobi, sparking powerful conversations on policy alignment, financing Africa’s food systems, carbon markets, and inclusive agrifinance.
As the dialogue continues, we’d love to hear from you: what was your highlight, and what actions should be taken to strengthen Africa’s agri‑food systems?
#AgriFinance #FoodSystems #FINASDialogue
#GIZKenya @FSDKe @AceliAfrica @StrathU
FSD Kenya retweeted
One year ago, 🇰🇪🇬🇧 launched a renewed Strategic Partnership (2025–2030) built on shared values & real impact.
Today’s launch of the Milly Fruits plant in Kilifi shows that partnership in action-creating jobs, strengthening value chains & improving livelihoods
#GoFarGoTogether
FSD Kenya retweeted
At the FINAS 2026 Summit, MESPT convened a side event on "𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢-𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬: 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐬," bringing together different stakeholders to discuss practical solutions for expanding inclusive finance and strengthening resilient agri-food systems.
Opening the session, MESPT Chief Executive Officer Rebecca Amukhoye shared MESPT's experience in unlocking finance for underserved communities, demonstrating that inclusive finance extends beyond credit. She highlighted the importance of combining blended finance, institutional capacity strengthening, financial literacy, market systems development, and strategic partnerships to create sustainable opportunities for smallholder farmers, women, youth, persons with disabilities, and refugees.
The discussion was further enriched by Kerezhi Sebany, Director, Economic Opportunities for Africa at The ONE Campaign, who presented on Reimagining Kenya's Agri-Food Financing Future. He examined the changing agricultural financing landscape amid declining donor funding and called for sustainable, locally anchored financing models, stronger value chain financing, expanded credit guarantees, improved use of farmer data, and long-term institutional investments to build resilient and investable food systems.
Jared Ochieng' of @FSDKe shared insights from the Green Finance for Youth Employment (GFYE) Project, demonstrating that while Kenya's agri-food sector presents significant business opportunities, many viable youth-led enterprises remain financially underserved. His presentation highlighted the need for financing products that align with agricultural production cycles, greater adoption of green technologies, innovative credit assessment models, and stronger support systems that enable young agripreneurs to thrive.
The side event reinforced a shared message: transforming agri-food systems requires more than capital. It calls for innovative and inclusive financing models, strong partnerships, supportive policies, and intentional investments that unlock opportunities for those who have traditionally been excluded from formal financial systems.
#FINAS2026 #MESPT #InclusiveFinance #AgriFinance #FoodSystems #GreenFinance #FinancialInclusion #YouthEmployment
Finance already reaches farmers for phones, school fees and emergencies. Yet when it comes to investing in production, storage or climate resilience, the system still falls short.
In her opening keynote at the Financing Agri-Food Systems Sustainably (FINAS) 2026 dialogue, FSD Kenya CEO Rashmi Pillai used the case study of Mwende, a smallholder farmer in Makueni, to illustrate how Africa's food systems are financed, but not well enough, and certainly not at the scale needed for a changing climate.
Agriculture contributes about 22% of Kenya's economy, yet receives less than 5% of bank lending. Meanwhile, climate change continues to erode productivity and increase risk.
The challenge is no longer knowing what farmers need, but to is redesign the rules, data systems and financial products that shape who gets financed, on what terms, and for what purpose.
Click here to read Rashmi's full opening keynote, as well as other insights the FSD Kenya team is sharing at the FINAS 2026 dialogues: fsdkenya.org/blogs-publicati… – at Nairobi, Kenya
FSD Kenya retweeted
@felistusmbole Head of Economic Opportinities & Genser Lead @FSDKe giving remarks at the Milly Fruit Group Launch of their Malindi factory @SuedKenya
FSD Kenya retweeted
The State Department today joined @KilifiCountyGov, @UKinKenya, @FSDKe, and Milly Group in Malindi, Kilifi County, for the official opening of Milly Fruits EPZ — a KES 250 million fruit processing facility expected to create 150 direct jobs and support over 1,000 farmers.
More than a factory, this investment is a solution to one of agriculture's biggest challenges: cutting post-harvest losses while creating reliable markets for farmers. Aligned with Kenya's Vision 2030 and the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), the project was made possible through strategic partnerships, including @SuedKenya Programme support for critical processing equipment and the State Department's fostering of an enabling investment environment through @InvestKenya_ investor facilitation and aftercare services, @epzakenya and @SEZAuthority_ke incentives, investment de-risking via @KDC_KE and supportive policy and regulatory frameworks.
This is what farm, value-add, export looks like in practice. Yet the pipeline keeps growing: Milly Group's next investment, a KES 3.5 billion pharmaceutical glass manufacturing facility at Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone, is projected to create over 500 more direct jobs — the first facility of its kind in the region.
Kenya remains open, safe and ready for business.
#ExportLedGrowth #Manufacturing #AgroProcessing #ValueAddition
Kenyan households received Sh931.8 billion in remittances between June 2024 and May 2025, against Sh40.5 billion sent out, according to the first national survey to track both inflows and outflows, not just transaction volumes.
📊The 2025 Remittances Household Survey, conducted by KNBS, and in collaboration with the Central Bank of Kenya and FSD Kenya, looks past the transaction totals that banks and mobile money operators report, delving into how households receive, use, or are affected by remittances.
Key highlights from the survey:
🇺🇸 The United States was the largest source of inflows, contributing 43.5 per cent of total remittances, followed by Germany and Australia.
🏦 Formal channels remain the preferred mode for remittance transfers, with banks and mobile money platforms accounting for over 92.0 per cent of inflows.
🎓 Households in Kenya sent a total of KSh 40.5 billion in remittances, primarily directed to students abroad, who received more than two-thirds of the total.
🌍 The numbers also show a divide, with rural households dominating both ends of remittance flows but rely more on in-kind transfers, while urban and more educated households receive mostly cash.
📱 While 82.5% of recipients have mobile money accounts, only 6.5% hold any investment product, pointing to a gap between access and use.
🏠 For 22.3% of households, remittances aren't supplementary. They're the main income.
Read the full 2025 Remittances Household Survey report here: fsdkenya.org/blogs-publicati…
Small and growing businesses are on the front line of climate adaptation across emerging markets.
They're also among the hardest to finance because commercial lenders deem them too risky, most institutional investors deem them too small, and they are poorly served by products designed for other borrowers entirely.
FSD Kenya, MSC (MicroSave Consulting) and the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs will host a session at the London Climate Action Week 2026 on Tuesday 23rd June 2026, to explore how banks, investors, and development partners can unlock fit-for-purpose finance for small and growing businesses.
Session title: Too Small, Too Risky, Too Important? Building the Financing Continuum for Climate Adaptation
📅 23rd June 2026
🕒 3:30 PM – 6:30 PM (GMT +1)
📍Wallacespace Spitalfields 15 Artillery Ln, London E1 7HA, UK
For more information about the session and how to register, click here: luma.com/cbgdaif0
This case study analyses Unity Homes’ innovative mortgage structure, its impact on Unity Home’s target market and applicability to the wider Kenya’s housing market.
Traditionally reliant on cash buyers due to the high cost of construction finance, Unity Homes used to typically sell to investor buyers who had ready cash available to finance the construction of the units, and excluded a large segment of potential buyers who required mortgage financing.
To address this, Unity Homes piloted a performance guarantee-backed mortgage model, supported by FSD Kenya.
This model allowed banks to release the mortgage value during construction, de-risking the financing process and enabling developers to accept mortgages without waiting for legal registration.
📈The results have been transformative:
🔹 Mortgage sales went up from under 2% of total sales to 30% of revenue in 2025
🔹 $7.1 million in approved mortgages, with 170+ applicants in the pipeline
🔹 Women now account for 65% of uptake
The pilot was tested with average unit prices of KShs 7 million, and average loan to value at 85%. Given the proof of concept, the same mechanism can now be replicated to lower cost units, as long as the developer balance sheet and track record are there.
📖 Read the full case study: fsdkenya.org/blogs-publicati…
Kenya’s persistent shortfalls in every day food items such as eggs, milk, fish and honey present immediate, commercially viable entry points for rural youth, but unlocking these opportunities requires a shift in how finance is designed for agri-food systems as well as investment in capacity development of youth led agri-enterprises.
This is according to the recently published Food Systems Analysis commissioned by FSD Kenya through the Green Finance for Youth Employment (GFYE) project, examining five priority value chains across 14 counties. The value chains analysed in the study were dairy, horticulture, poultry, fisheries and aquaculture, and apiculture.
The analysis reveals persistent supply gaps across all these five value chains, documenting Kenya’s annual deficit of 5 billion eggs; 6.5 to 7.5 billion litres of milk; 340,000 metric tonnes of fish; and 5,500 metric tonnes of honey. These shortfalls are largely met through imports, signalling immediate market opportunities for domestic production by youth-led enterprises.
Read the full report for more about the study, the findings, and the recommendations here: fsdkenya.org/wp-content/uplo…
FSD Kenya, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the National Treasury and Economic Planning last week shared the findings of the Green Finance for Youth Employment Food Systems Analysis report.
The Food Systems Analysis was commissioned by FSD Kenya through the Green Finance for Youth Employment (GFYE) project, to study five priority value chains (dairy, horticulture, poultry, fisheries and aquaculture, and apiculture) across 14 counties.
The analysis revealed persistent supply gaps across all these five value chains, documenting Kenya’s annual deficit of 5 billion eggs; 6.5 to 7.5 billion litres of milk; 340,000 metric tonnes of fish; and 5,500 metric tonnes of honey. These shortfalls are largely met through imports, signalling immediate market opportunities for domestic production by youth-led and youth employing enterprises.
However, unlocking these opportunities for youth-led and youth employing enterprises, requires a shift in how finance is designed for agri-food systems as well as investment in capacity development of youth-led and youth employing agri-enterprises.
For the full report, its findings and recommendations click here: fsdkenya.org/wp-content/uplo…
The Green Finance for Youth Employment (GFYE) project is funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland through International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and implemented by FSD Kenya in partnership with AGRA and Cordaid Kenya. GFYE is embedded within the IFAD-funded Rural Kenya Financial Inclusion Facility (RK-FINFA), overseen by the National Treasury and Economic Planning and it aims to support at least 8,000 rural youth and 500 youth-led or youth-employing enterprises by expanding access to green finance and strengthening enterprise capacity.
How do Kenyans actually navigate the financial realities of seeking healthcare?
@felistusmbole and @natellous share early insights from the FSD Kenya, Ekko Insights and Georgetown University healthcare financial diaries study, revealing three important shifts shaping health-seeking and financing behaviour.
First, there has been a move towards digital payments, driven in part by the 2016 waiver on transaction fees for amounts below KShs 100. This has made it easier for households to manage small, frequent health related expenses.
Second, persistent medication stock-outs in public facilities mean communities rely heavily on private pharmacies. While this fills a critical gap, it also introduces new risks including inconsistent quality of care and increased use of alternative medicines.
Third, proximity does not always equal access, with many patients, especially those with chronic conditions, still needing to travel to higher level facilities for treatment. The cost and time involved remain a significant barrier.
Read more: fsdkenya.org/blogs-publicati…
This blog is one of the entries in FSD Kenya’s 2025 annual report. Read the full FSD Kenya 2025 annual report (pdf) here: fsdkenya.org/wp-content/uplo…
