AWEP Kenya (African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program) has entered into a formal partnership with Kingdom Bank aimed at re-energizing the growth of women-led enterprises in Kenya. AWEP Kenya is the Kenya Chapter of a US State Department-founded initiative committed to equipping African businesswomen and SMEs with the tools, networks, and opportunities to accelerate business growth, expand market access, and drive economic progress.
The partnership was launched at a high-level event held at Kingdom Bank Towers in Nairobi, bringing together women entrepreneurs and financial sector leaders in a commitment to transforming how women-led businesses access capital, markets, and institutional support.
A Commitment Built Around Women in Business
The Kingdom Bank and AWEP Kenya partnership represent a structured, long-term collaboration designed to connect women-led SMEs with financial products, business development support and market access opportunities. The partnership is anchored in Faidi Dada, Kingdom Bank’s flagship women banking solution, designed to empower women entrepreneurs through tailored financial products, business support and growth opportunities and AWEP Kenya’s established community of women entrepreneurs embedded across value chains, working with aggregators, producers and consolidators in diverse sectors nationwide.
The MOU outlines a framework of joint programming, financial literacy initiatives, preferential banking access for AWEP members and a recurring Funded & Fearless series to be rolled out across various Kenyan Counties.
“This partnership is a declaration that AWEP Kenya’s women entrepreneurs deserve a seat at the financial table and that Kingdom Bank is ready to pull that chair out for them. We are building something that will outlast this room and reach women across every county in Kenya.” Eunice Mwongera, Board Chairperson, AWEP Kenya
“Together with AWEP Kenya, Kingdom Bank is deepening its commitment to women entrepreneurs through Faidi Dada, our dedicated women banking platform. Through Faidi Dada, customers will access loans on competitive terms, enabling women-owned businesses to grow, scale and create lasting economic impact.” Millycent Madegwa, Head of Institutional Banking representing Mr Anthony Mburu, Managing Director, Kingdom Bank.
The partnership reflects a shared commitment by both AWEP Kenya and Kingdom Bank to support women entrepreneurs with the opportunities they need to grow, create jobs and drive inclusive economic growth across Kenya, the region and globally.
ABOUT THE EVENT
Funded & Fearless
The partnership launch event, Funded & Fearless: Access the Finance Your Business Deserves, convened an exclusive cohort of growth-ready women entrepreneurs from AWEP Kenya’s membership, her networks, and mentee cohort – mid-stage to established business owners generating revenue and ready to engage with institutional finance at a higher level.
The event featured a keynote address from Joram Mwinamo, Group CEO and Co-founder of SNDBX International, who brought frank, practitioner-level insight into the financial decisions that change a business trajectory. Mwinamo’s address centred on what women entrepreneurs need to understand to build businesses that capital will back – drawing from decades of experience at the highest levels of East African business.
The event also included the formal MOU signing ceremony between AWEP Kenya and Kingdom Bank, an interactive member session that captured the real financial challenges and priorities of women entrepreneurs, and direct engagement with Kingdom Bank’s Faidi Dada product suite.
THE SERIES
Funded & Fearless Scaled Regional Impact
Today’s event marks the first edition of what will become a recurring series under the Kingdom Bank × AWEP Kenya partnership. Future editions are planned for additional counties, taking the Funded & Fearless conversation to women entrepreneurs across Kenya’s key economic regions.
Each edition will bring independent, high-calibre business and financial voices into direct conversation with women-led businesses, creating a consistent platform for access, information, and financial empowerment at the community level.
