News & Events

KWFT HOSTS WATER.ORG EXECUTIVE TEAM

On March 5^th 2024, KWFT welcomed the executive team of Water.org to KWFT Centre, Upperhill. The occasion saw the Water.org team paying a courtesy call to the KWFT Managing Director and engaging in a series of visits to witness firsthand the fruits of their collaboration.

The  water.org executive team comprised of Gary White (CEO & Co-founder), Jay SchwartzCoffey (Chief Financial Officer), Janet Tinsley (Chief Global Impact Officer), Griselda Santos( Regional Director, Southeast Asia), Francis Musinguzi (Regional Director, Africa) , Collins Owiti (Senior Partnership Accounts Manager) and  Jamilla Kang’ahi Rajabu (Senior Partnership Account Manager). The team met the KWFT MD, Mwangi Githaiga and senior leadership management of KWFT.

For more than 10 years, Water.org and KWFT have joined forces to address one of Kenya’s most pressing challenges: access to safe, affordable, and accessible water. This enduring partnership has transformed the lives of countless individuals and communities across the country.

The visit commenced with an interactive meeting at the KWFT headquarters, where the Water.org team was presented with the inspiring journey of KWFT’s commitment to financing Kenyan women in accessing water. Through innovative financing solutions, KWFT has empowered women to take control of their lives and uplift their families and communities.

The latter part of the visit was a trip to Kandara, Muranga, where the Water.org team met two beneficiaries of the KWFT and Water.org partnership. These women, once burdened by long and arduous journeys to fetch water from distant rivers, now have access to clean water right in their homes.

Their story serves as a tender reminder of the challenges faced by many Kenyan families in accessing water and the profound impact that strategic partnerships can have in addressing such issues.

KWFT’s dedication to empowering women extends far beyond water access. Through collaborations with visionary partners like Water.org, KWFT has been at the forefront of driving positive change in communities across Kenya.

KWFT extends its gratitude to Water.org for their unwavering support and partnership over the years. Together significant strides towards a future where Kenyan access to safe and reliable water has been made possible.

KWFT TOPS IN AFRICA AND ASIA ON SOCIAL IMPACT  

In 2023, KWFT took part in the 60 Decibels’ Microfinance Index (MFI Index), an annual initiative that provides comparative, client-level social performance outcomes to microfinance institutions and emerged the top three in Africa! In addition, KWFT was awarded the 2023 top Impact Microfinance in Africa and Asia! 

The survey, which was conducted by 60 decibels microfinance index, compared the social performance of 114 microfinance institutions across Asia and Africa. KWFT performance led 16 participants from East Africa of which Kenya had 3 representatives.  

The various social economic indicators examined during the survey represent the crucial parameters, that interrogate the development of micro entrepreneurs in regards to; financial access, sustained livelihoods (Business Impact), Household impact, Client Protection, Business Resilience and customer empowerment (Agency) as a direct impact of the support given by their respective Microfinance Institution. These factors thus determine growth of an economy and in this case, development that has been achieved in the microeconomic sector.  

KWFTs customers are predominantly women and therefore these indicators reveal the extent to which the women economic empowerment agenda has been achieved by the institution.  

KWFT is indeed honoured by this recognition and continues its quest to impact Kenyan families and businesses positively.  

KWFT’s SUCCESS – SFI CATALYST AWARDS 2023

KWFT is delighted to announce its recognition at the 2023 SFI Catalyst Awards organized by Kenya Bankers Association where the institution is a Member Bank.

This was the 7th Edition of the SFI Catalyst Awards by Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) and the event was presided over by Dr. Habil Olaka- CEO Kenya Bankers Association, Tamara Cook- CEO FSD Kenya and Geoffrey Odundo- CEO – Nairobi Securities Exchange. KWFT was represented at the event by Kibet Kipkemoi- Director ICT& Banking Operations and Juliana Wanjiru- GM Marketing, Communications & Innovation.

The Catalyst Awards aim at recognizing Financial Institutions that continue to drive a positive impact on the Economy, Society and the Environment through Sustainable Financing Initiatives. Members of the KBA, Non-KBA members, mobile network operators offering financial services and Financial Institutions were eligible to submit entries for the Catalyst Award.

The awards were as follows;

BEST BANK IN PROMOTING GENDER INCLUSIVITY:

KWFT emerged the winner

This category focused on a Firms commitment in promoting gender parity through policy formulation and implementation. Banks were encouraged to showcase their role in encouraging women to be formally included in the financial services sector that included the workplace and marketplace (by developing products geared towards empowering female entrepreneurs).

MOST INNOVATIVE BANK CATEGORY:

KWFT emerged 2nd position

This category focused on how technology can be leveraged to reach untapped and marginalized market segments. It also focuses on ways firms can innovate and enhance their service delivery as well as, expand a firm’s reach/scale.

In this category, KWFT showcased 2 Innovations implemented through Partnerships with Fintechs namely:

§ Ibuild that enables KWFT to collect data and report on social impact of KWFTs Home Improvement product offering.

§ Rapidvets as a tool used by the KWFT to connect livestock farmers with qualified veterinary officers for purposes of obtaining livestock valuation reports.

FINANCING SMALL & MICRO ENTERPRISES CATEGORY:

KWFT emerged 3rd position

This category focused on Firms that have contributed to Sustainable Economic Development through financing Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Firms were encouraged to highlight how they have extended credit to SME’s who are in green growth activities.

KWFT’s steadfast commitment to gender inclusivity, coupled with innovative financial empowerment and technological integration, has reshaped the narrative as well as established a benchmark in the banking sector.

A heartfelt appreciation to the KWFT team as these efforts have undeniably transformed lives of Kenyan families

KWFT FEATURED AT AFAWA FINANCE SERIES KENYA

On November 21st, 2023, KWFT Bank had the distinct honor of being invited to the AFAWA Finance series in Kenya, where Mr Mwangi Githaiga served as a keynote speaker on the panel. The AFAWA Finance Series was organized by the African Development Bank (AFDB) in collaboration with the African Guarantee Fund (AGF). The event was held at Safari Park, Kenya.

AFAWA’s approach challenges the gender gap in access to finance and liberates women’s entrepreneurial capacity in Africa.The theme of the panel discussion was ‘Bridging the Gender Financial Gap’

The event was graced by esteemed guests.The chief guest was Hon. Ann Waiguru (Chair of council of governors). The other guests were Harriet Chiggai (Office of the president’s Advisor on Women’s rights), H.E Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay County Governor), Dr.Chris Kiptoo (Principal Secretary, National Treasury), Hon. Beatrice Elachi(Deputy Chairperson, Kenya Women Parliamentary Association),Dr. Susan Koech (Deputy Governor Central Bank of Kenya) ,Mr. Jules Ngankam (AGF CEO), Dr. Josephine Ngure (AFDB Regional Country manager) .

Other panelists sharing the platform were notable leaders, such as Mr. Anuj Mediratta (CEO, Gulf African Bank), Betty Korir (CEO, Credit Bank), Elizabeth Wasunna (Director, Business Banking, Absa Bank Kenya), and Lilian Mramba (Chief Investment Officer, Grassroots Business Fund)

Mr. Mwangi Githaiga shared expertise on empowering women economically highlighting its significance in societal development. The discussions covered various topics, including the barriers faced by women in accessing finance, the role of financial institutions in supporting women entrepreneurs, and the necessity for innovative financial products tailored to women’s specific needs.

KWFT’s takes pride in being part of such impactful discussions that align with our commitment to fostering inclusive financial practices. This role is a testament to KWFTs position as a key industry player that has set the pace in women’s financial inclusion.

KWFT HOSTS DELEGATION FROM THE UGANDAN PARLIAMENT

On the 13th of September 2023, The KWFT Managing Director, Mwangi Githaiga accompanied by Senior Leadership Team had the privilege of hosting 9 Members of Ugandan Parliament who were on a benchmarking and study tour of the Kenyan microfinance sector. This exchange was made possible courtesy of Association of Microfinance Institutions (AMFI).

The value of Kenya’s sectors, particularly in the realm of microfinance and women’s financial inclusion, cannot be overstated. By studying these best practices, Uganda can gain valuable insights into crafting policies and strategies that promote financial inclusion and gender equality within its own borders.

As a model institution, the KWFT MD gave a comprehensive presentation to demonstrate the Institution’s core activities and its innovative approaches to women’s financial empowerment. This highlighted KWFT’s commitment to offering accessible financial products and services tailored to the unique needs of women entrepreneurs and individuals in rural and marginalized communities in Kenya.

The delegates were impressed by KWFTs approach to sustainable finance and the presentation set the stage for insightful discussions.

KWFT’s hosting of the delegation from the Parliament of Uganda marked an important milestone in fostering knowledge-sharing and cross-border collaboration within the East African region. This exchange of ideas and experiences between Uganda and Kenya promises to lay the foundation for future advancements and collaborations in the pursuit of gender equality and financial inclusion.

KWFT HOSTS DELEGATES FROM EGYPTIAN BANKING INSTITUTE (EBI

On August 29, 2023, KWFT Senior Leadership led by the Managing Director , Mr Mwangi Githaiga, hosted16 distinguished delegates from the Egyptian Banking Institute (EBI) at KWFT Centre, Upperhill. The delegates represented 7 Egyptian Banking Institutions and are on a study tour in Kenya, courtesy of the Kenya Institute of Bankers (KIB). In attendance were two KIB representatives.

Egyptian Banking Institute (EBI) was established in 1991 by the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) and serves as the official training arm of the Central Bank of Egypt. The Institute offers programs that foster learning and growth in the banking sector.

The study tour was aimed at exchanging insights and knowledge on best practices in the financial services sector, with a focus on Kenya’s banking industry and women economic empowerment.

The focus of the discussions revolved around KWFT’s commitment to supporting Kenyan women, particularly those residing in rural areas, in savings for their goals as well as accessing credit to grow their businesses sustainably. In addition, the KWFT team highlighted the banks efforts to champion women’s economic empowerment, gender equality, inclusion and diversity at the workplace, marketplace and community.

The delegates from Egypt showed great interest in learning about KWFT’s successful initiatives and how they can be implemented in their banking institutions to support women’s empowerment and the community at large.

KWFT’s gracious hosting of the Egyptian Banking Institute (EBI) delegates exemplified its dedication to nurturing global banking connections and sharing best practices within the financial services sector. KWFT looks forward to more partnership opportunities with KIB as well as EBI on matters sustainability, capacity building and exchange programs

KWFT CUSTOMER COMPENSATED BY UNDERWRITER

AAR Insurance compensated one of KWFT’s customers whose rental property in Lunga Lunga accidentally caught fire. This was made possible as the customer had taken an insurance cover through KWFT Bancassurance whose underwriter is AAR Insurance.

Janet has been a KWFT customer for over 20 years and she owns various businesses including 25 rental units in LungaLunga, Embakassi Sub-County, Nairobi County. On 8th May 2023, 9 of the rental units accidentally caught fire.

Janet, was presented with a cheque by AAR Insurance Group CEO Dr. Patrick Gatonga in the presence of KWFT MD, Mwangi Githaiga at KWFT Centre on 31st July 2023.

The presentation of the cheque symbolizes both KWFT’s commitment to their customers’ financial well-being and the effectiveness of their partnership with AAR insurance.

This also emphasizes the importance of insurance in safeguarding individuals and businesses from unforeseen risks. KWFT has partnered with AAR Insurance to provide KWFT customers with reliable and efficient insurance covers, ensuring their peace of mind in times of crisis.

KWFT PLANTS 2000 TREES

Kenya Women Microfinance Bank (KWFT) staff in conjunction with Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and local community members of Kimakia united to rehabilitate a section of Kimakia forest in Murang’a County. In this re-forestation exercise 2,000 trees of different indigenous species were planted on April 27, 2023. Kimakia forest is a home to a variety of wildlife and forest species.

KWFT took part in the activity in efforts towards increasing Kenya’s forest cover which has served generations with many environmental benefits, beautiful canopies as well as a habitat for Kenya’s renowned diverse wildlife. Kenyan forests have been degraded over time, mainly emanating from human activities such as logging, charcoal burning and human settlement causing severe drought and environmental degradation. To revitalize its landscapes, Kenya has committed to increase its forest cover with 15 billion trees by 2032 to achieve 30% tree cover.

As such preservation of the environment calls for sustainable activities that protect natural resources by reducing waste, energy consumption and pollution from all stakeholders. In response to SDG 6: Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG 13 on Climate Action, KWFT has been intentional in offering eco-friendly products as well as financing for businesses whose operations are environmentally conscious.

KWFT is committed to continue contributing to the noble agenda of restoring natural resources and it was honoured to partake the exercise with Kenya Forest Service and the community of Kimakia.

YALE UNIVERSITY VISITS KWFT

On March 15, 2023 KWFT was delighted to host 32 MBA students from Yale University Connecticut, USA who were on a study tour, accompanied by their Professor Kevin Donavan and Jolly Christine. The tour was based on their interest in the Kenyan Economy.

The study tour began with a mentorship session by the KWFT Managing Director, Mwangi Githaiga who presented on Kenya’s financial landscape, KWFT strategic direction, structure, operations and its contribution to the Kenyan economy. There were great conversations about how KWFT supports Kenyan women (residing in the rural areas) to access credit to grow their businesses sustainably. This was supported by a conversation of KWFTs selection of portfolios and how the institution is able to address women economic empowerment, inclusion and gender equality. 

The team then embarked on a field visit to meet and interact with some KWFT customers in Kandara, Makuyu and Goliba areas within the Nairobi North region.

In Kandara, the team was excited to attended a group meeting and got oriented to understand and appreciate the group lending methodology. This was an insightful meeting as it defined KWFTs model of social collateral which enables women to access credit. In Makuyu the team visited an avid poultry farmer who shared her journey that has been nurtured and financed by KWFT. The business woman normally rears over 30,000 chicken and supplies to Kenchic thus making her business very marketable. The visit ended with a delightful visit to a farm in Goliba owned by a KWFT beneficiary who offered insights on her thriving horticultural business. 

KWFT was delighted to host the Yale University students for the mentorship session to impact knowledge to students on practical and scalable solutions offered by Microfinance.

CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENT – SFI CATALYST AWARDS 2021

It is with great excitement that KWFT announces its victorious win in the prestigious SFI Catalyst Awards 2021 ceremony which was held on Wednesday 21st, September 2022, at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Nairobi. The ceremony was well attended by key stakeholders from the financial sector, government, private as well as the non-governmental organizations and presided over by Martin Ochieng, Chairperson, UN Global Compact Network Kenya & Group Managing Director of Sasini Plc.

The Awards, pioneered by the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) in 2015, offer Institutions a unique opportunity and platform to showcase their industry leadership and their role towards promoting sustainable development, under the guide of Sustainable Finance Initiative (SFI) principles.

The SFI Catalyst Awards 2021 were highly competitive attracting 43 entries from 16 financial institutions. The awards involved a series of questions that required institutions to demonstrate their approach and value proposition in various topics.

KWFT is proud to have won in the following categories:

• Promoting Gender Inclusivity – Overall Winner
• Best Overall Award – Position 3

In addition to this award and many other recognitions, KWFT’s trajectory has demonstrated its dedication towards uplifting women in the society. KWFT has rewritten the narrative of women’s involvement in financial matters and it has passed the bar when it comes to women in societal development. 

From the onset KWFT has provided women with both financial knowledge and convenient options to financial aid to transform their lives.  The journey to financial inclusivity has already yielded commendable results and KWFT is committed to continue being among Kenya’s change makers.

KWFT / CAIXA BANK PARTNERSHIP

KWFT was delighted to host a Senior Management Team from Caixa Bank in Brazil, one of the largest bank in Brazil and a leader in the financial sector. Caixa Bank has a clientele base of 146 million customers within a network of 26,758 branches across Brazil. Caixa Bank also started a social, digital and financial inclusion initiative in Brazil, which successfully paid out Emergency Aid to over 68 million people during the pandemic period.

Caixa Bank has a Loan Portfolio of $ 173.6 Billion and a Savings Book of $ 73 Billion. Currently, Caixa Bank is seeking to diversify their business focus into Microfinance in Brazil to support the low and middle income people; hence their visit to KWFT to learn on best practices.

The initial visit to KWFT was that of Caixa Bank’s President and CEO Dr. Pedro Guimarães who visited KWFT on 2nd of March 2021 and was accompanied by the following Caixa Senior Managers:

• Rafael Morais – Chief Financial Officer 
• Gryecos Loureiro – Legal Director 
• Eduardo Falk – Retail Products Director
• Embassy of Brazil in Kenya officials

Dr Pedro and his team had a great interactive and learning session on KWFT’s unique business model and social impact mission. Owing to the successful deliberations of his visit, Dr.Pedro, upon his return to Brazil, subsequently facilitated a second Team of another 4 Senior Managers from Caixa Bank to visit KWFT for an exchange program with a mission to learn more about KWFT and its unique Business Model of Microfinance. 

KWFT hosted this team exclusively for 6 days i.e. between 24th March – 29th March 2022. The Senior Management Team were as follows: 

• Tatiana Thomé De Oliveira – Vice President & Chief Government Sector Officer
• Maria Leticia De Paula Macedo-  Governance, Strategy & Marketing Director
• Edilson Carrogi Ribeiro Vianna  – Clients & Onboarding Director
• Jardel Luis Carpes –  Head of Privacy & Registry Department

During this period, the Caixa Team met and held different discussions with KWFT Board Members as well as KWFT Senior Management Team on the following key thematic areas of Microfinance:

• Governance
• Micro-credit 
• Group Methodology 
• ICT and Banking Operations 
• Credit Analysis 
• Marketing & Product Innovations  
• Risk Mitigation and Compliance 
• Finance and reporting 

The Team also had an opportunity to go for a field visit and interacted with the KWFT customers and staff from Nairobi and Eastern Zones.

Caixa Bank’s visit is an affirmation of KWFT’s milestones, which have positively contributed towards sustainable development, positioning KWFT as a benchmark for Microfinance Best Practices, and is globally recognized.

2022 RING THE BELL FOR GENDER EQUALITY & KWFT SIGNING OF THE WOMEN EMPOWERMENT PRINCIPLES

KWFT is delighted to have attended the successful annual Ring the Bell ceremony in honor of celebrating the International Women’s Day which was held yesterday 8th March 2022 at the Pride Inn Azure Hotel in Westlands, Nairobi. 

As a current trend, the Stock Exchanges around the world are hosting a bell-ringing ceremony to raise awareness for gender equality.

The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) worked alongside the UN Global Compact, UN Women and International Finance Corporation (IFC) for the 8th consecutive year to organize the initiative. This year’s theme was “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”. The celebration aims at recognizing the contribution of women and girls around the world, who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response, to build a more sustainable future for all.

The event was well attended by esteemed players in both the government and the private sectors, they included: Hon. Keriako Tobiko, CS, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Geoffrey Odundo – Chief Executive – Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), Ms. Judy Njino -Executive Director – Global Compact Network Kenya, Ms. Rose Lumumba – Manager – IFC Kenya, Ms. Rukaya Mohammed, Country Deputy Representative, UN Women, and other Key Stakeholders.

KWFT was delighted to receive a cordial invitation to give a key address, where the KWFT Managing Director, Mr. Mwangi Githaiga highlighted KWFT’s milestones achieved towards Women Empowerment based on the seven principles, this culminated into KWFT officially signing the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) and witnessed by the esteemed dignitaries, making KWFT the only women’s bank in Africa to be a signatory. This was a hallmark of KWFT’s commitment to promoting gender equality.

The Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) was established by UN Global Compact and UN Women to offer guidance to company’s on how to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace and community. 

In addition, KWFT’s Managing Director, Mr. Mwangi Githaiga was also a key participant in a panel discussion where they discussed imperative matters on promoting gender equality and improving access to finance and market. 

This event fortified the pivotal role that KWFT plays in supporting women to achieve the Sustainable Development. 

INUA JAMII CASH TRANSFER PROGRAMME

Stirred by the Institution’s core value of upholding dignity, KWFT is delighted to be the first Microfinance Bank in Kenya to partner with the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection to be a service provider for the Inua Jamii Cash Transfer Programme. 

The Inua Jamii Cash Transfer Programme is a Government National Safety Net Program (NSNP) designed to uplift the lives of poor and vulnerable citizens of Kenya through regular and reliable monthly cash transfers. The program’s beneficiaries are:

• Orphans
• Vulnerable Children 
• Elderly Persons 
• Persons with severe disabilities and Hunger. 

KWFT‘s outstanding brand reputation and extensive branch network across the country, cemented its position as a suitable strategic institution to serve in the Inua Jamii Cash Transfer Programme. Other selected financial institutions include; KCB, Equity, National Bank, Cooperative Bank and Postbank.

KWFT appreciates this Government’s initiative to impact the lives of the vulnerable groups and we are committed to diligently support, serve and uphold their dignity. 

KWFT CENTRE- AN ICONIC ARCHITECTURE

KWFT  Centre is an iconic architecture Grade A commercial complex designed to embrace its lush surroundings located in the heart of Nairobi’s vibrant regional financial hub of Upper Hill District area, which is one of the most preferred office locations by many organizations in Nairobi.

The building is conveniently situated in the most coveted Upper Hill District right on Kiambere Road which provides it with quick access to Uhuru Highway, Langata Road as well as the surrounding areas.

A NEW WAVE OF WONDERFUL MOMENTS AND FEEL

KWFT Centre offers a perfect fusion of architecture and Style with a luxury flow in this reimagined leisure paradigm with a multitude of experiences ready to immerse in, with beautiful view of the vicinity. It provides well planned office spaces with large windows and tall ceilings that create an abundance of natural light and adequate ventilation within the office spaces.

The office spaces available offers flexible business accommodation from as low as 2000 sq.ft to over 30,000 sq.ft which are controlled via a central building management system and that are designed to offer creative spaces that enhance the working lifestyle for companies.

The Building features the below amenities:

• 200 basement parking slots
• A restaurant space and a retail center
• Office spaces with beautiful views
• A rooftop terrace that can be used for events and meetings
• Intelligent lifts
• Common toilets for both male and female
• Kitchenettes

The associated amenities include the following

• Smart Parking System
• A fully automated building management system
• Provision of lighting and power points within the office spaces and common areas
• External security lighting
• Electric fence around the perimeter wall
• Standby Generator for backup power
• CCTV surveillance
• High speed Data connectivity
• Water storage – provision of both ground and overhead storage tanks
• Borehole
• Fire alarm detection system and firefighting installations
• 24-hour security guards at the premise

Lettable space is available from 2nd to 6th floor. Each floor has two wings namely; Wing A and Wing B.

RENTAL RATES

Office space

1 to below 2,000 sq.ft negotiable to Kshs. 90 per sq.ft

2,000 to below 4,000 sq.ft negotiable up to Kshs. 85 per sq.ft

4,000 and above negotiable up to Kshs. 80 per sq.ft

Service charge: Kshs. 25 per sq.ft

Parking bay: Kshs. 8,500 per month per bay

Escalations: 15% after 2 years

Incentives

• 3 Months Rent Holiday
• Free Parking for the first 6 months

Get in touch with our property consultants on:

• 0704386002
• 0704386004

Email Address; sales@gimcoltd.com

Website: www.gimcoltd.com

KWFT joins the United Nations Global Compact Network

KWFT SHINES AT THE GLOBAL SME AWARDS 2020

KWFT is delighted to have been awarded a SILVER award for the Best Bank for Women Entrepreneurs Category at the Global SME Finance Awards 2020 which was held virtually on Tuesday 27th October 2020.

The prestigious award aims to celebrate the outstanding achievements of financial institutions and fintech companies in delivering exceptional products and services to their SME clients. This year’s Best Bank for Women Entrepreneurs category was in partnership with International Finance Corporation (IFC) and was sponsored by Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi).

KWFT stood out as a result of its commitment to empower low income marginalized women, by offering them free financial literacy training, innovative solutions and convenience banking.

Winning this award is a true manifestation of the impact the institution has on women empowerment and financial inclusion. This has created immense economic opportunities for women and families who were financially excluded.

KWFT was delighted to receive an invitation to attend the 2020 Global Hand Washing Roundtable where the KWFT Managing Directors participated as a panelist on “The Role of Individuals/Communities in Achieving Future-Ready Communities, as the pandemic has been a wake-up call on the need to accelerate universal access to handwashing with soap and water. The event was organized by Reckitt Benckiser (RB) and Water.org on 14^th October 2020 at the Kenyatta International Conference Center (KICC), Nairobi, Kenya.

The 2020 Global Hand Washing Day celebration was driven by the theme “Hand Hygiene for All” a call to action to make hand hygiene a reality for all. The event brought together a high-level round-table of government officials, private sector executives and community leaders.

At the event, Covid-19 was the topic of discussion as it has left an indelible mark on lives across the globe – disrupting businesses, schools, travel, health and well-being. In the world of business, every industry has also been challenged in many unanticipated ways. Thus Covid-19 virus has hastened the need to avail clean water for handwashing to communities – as handwashing with soap is the most critical arsenal in the fight against the pandemic.

This memorable occasion saw Reckitt Benckiser, Water.org and KWFT unveil a unique partnership to avail WASH Financing to communities to improve access to hygiene facilities and water.  KWFT benefited from Ksh. 21 Million to develop new innovative Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) products as well as Capacity building for KWFT staff and customers on the WASH portfolio.

Mr. Mwangi Githaiga, KWFT Managing Director, during the discussion, highlighted that it is important to provide affordable financing for sustainable Water Sanitation & Hygiene solutions for the households, this includes financing water harvesting solutions such as water tanks, water connections, water purifiers, shallow wells, construction of latrines/Bioseptic systems and sanitation slabs as all these will provide better hygiene to the customers and their families.

KWFT appreciates Reckitt Benckiser (RB) and water.org for their continued efforts in providing sustainable support in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic.

KWFT’S VICTORY IN THE AFRICAN BANKER AWARDS 2020

KWFT is pleased to have been recognized in one of the most prestigious International Banking Awards, the African Banker Awards 2020. The Awards is held under the high patronage of the African development Bank to celebrate and highlight the achievements of companies and individuals that contribute to the transformation and development of Africa’s financial sector

KWFT had been nominated in 2 categories among other Institutions as follows:

1. Award for Financial Inclusion
2. Agriculture Deal of the Year

KWFT triumphed as the overall Best in the Award for Financial Inclusion Category. KWFT’s Win in this category was a manifestation of the great work the institution does in delivering financial products and services to wider parts of society, particularly to the most disadvantaged and low income segments.

KWFT appreciates all its stakeholders for their support.

God Bless you all.

KWFT participated in the just concluded Banking Awards 2020 whose ceremony took place virtually on Thursday, 23rd July 2020 and won 4 awards as follows:

• Lifetime Achievement in Banking Award – Dr. Jennifer Riria
• Outstanding Young Banker of the Year (Microfinance Category) – Caroline Chepkirui, Senior Unit Manager at Kaptumo.
• Most Customer Centric Microfinance Bank
• Best Microfinance Bank in Agriculture and Livestock Financing

KWFT is proud that under the highly competitive individual recognitions category, KWFT had two winners; our Board Member, Dr. Jennifer Riria, who won the Lifetime Achievement in Banking Award for her impact in women empowerment and financial inclusion that spans for over 20 years in the Banking Industry.

Caroline Chepkirui, the Senior Unit Manager at Kaptumo, also received the prestigious award in the Microfinance Category as the Outstanding Young Banker of the Year, as her impact and contribution towards empowering women in Kaptumo was recognized. Caroline is a go getter and has had consistent high performance over the last few years.

In addition, KWFT won the Most Customer Centric Microfinance Bank Award, affirming the Institution’s efforts in financial inclusion and resolve to offer impactful and timely customer service solutions.

KWFT was also named the Best Microfinance Bank in Agriculture and Livestock Financing, a recognition which celebrates the Institution in its quest to offer innovative and modern agribusiness practices making agribusiness viable and sustainable to our clients.

KWFT appreciates all stakeholders for the continued support and patronage.

KWFT has once again received 30 hand washing units from a long term partner Kentainers Ltd. The units will be distributed across the KWFT Network targeting various government institutions such as: police stations, chief camps, assistant chief camps and prison facilities.

The noble cause is set to enable KWFT to further its social impact mission of transforming lives, in this case enhancing community hygiene and creation of awareness about the importance of hand washing as the key to winning the war against the spread of Covid-19.

The handing over event was also featured in the newspapers as follows:

• Daily Nation – 13th July, 2020  – Page 29
• Business Daily – 13th July, 2020  – Page 6

Together we shall win this battle against Covid-19 pandemic.

KWFT as a responsible corporate citizen pursuing a social mission supports the government’s directive towards curbing the spread of the coronavirus in the country by encouraging communities to adopt best practices of hygiene and sanitation.

On 11th, June 2020, KWFT in partnership with Polytanks and Containers Kenya Ltd donated 50 hand washing units to the deserving public Institutions countrywide. The hand washing units each comprised of a 60 litre co-branded hand wash tank with a sink, a soap dish and a metallic stand will be distributed around the country at various government institutions targeting various beneficiaries such as: police stations, chief camps, assistant chief camps and prison facilities.

The handing over event was featured on the media as follows:

• NTV News bulleting – 14th, June 2020 at 1:00pm (https://youtu.be/USQxqweq-Yo)
• Daily Nation – 15th June 2020 – Page 31
• Business Daily – 15th June 2020  Page 14

Let’s continue to observing the precautionary measures on curbing Covid -19 for together we shall overcome this pandemic.

The Eldoret National show kicked off on 4th – 7th March 2020 at the Eldoret Show grounds.  The show attracted over 200 exhibitors from different Industries Namely Financial Institution’s, Government Entities, Private Institution’s, Institutions of higher learning, who showcased various products and services and it also attracted thousands of attendees. This year’s show theme was: Promoting Innovation and Technology in Agriculture and Trade.

The show was officially opened by Hon. CS Agriculture, Livestock & Fisheries, Peter Munya who also visited the KWFT stand accompanied by Uasin Gishu Governor Hon. Jackson Mandago and the Deputy Governor among other delegates. During the Hon. CS Peter Munya’s speech at the opening ceremony, he highly commended KWFT for its efforts in supporting small holder farmers and for offering micro-assets financing to elevate their businesses sustainably.

The Bank was also well represented by the GM Marketing, Communications and Innovations Juliana Wanjiru, GM Rift valley Zone-Dominic Ndwiga, Regional, Agribusiness and the Marketing Team. KWFT scooped several awards including.

1. Branch Chairman’s Commendation Trophy
2. Stand That Best Interprets Current Show Theme -1st Position
3. Best Stand In Youth Activities Empowerment and Capacity Building- 1st Position
4. Best Microfinance Institution Stand- 1st Position
5. Best Organizing/Association in community service- 2nd Position
6. Best Innovation and Invention Stand- 2nd Position

KWFT’s stand was outstanding as it showcased different innovative solutions that are available to customers which included; Home improvement & Agribusiness products. This was also culminated by a modern demo farm which attracted show goers and potential customers.

KWFT appreciates everyone who visited the Institutions’ stand and remains devoted to empowering small holder farmers to achieve their agribusiness goals sustainably to foster food security as well as to improve the economy.

KWFT is delighted to have triumphed during the Catalyst Awards 2019. The awards launched the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) in 2016, over the years have sort to recognize and celebrate institutions that practice catalytic finance which has a direct impact on the financial industry, economy and the society at large.

This year, the Catalyst Awards attracted 47 entries from 14 financial institutions, they included; KWFT, ABC Bank, Barclays/Absa, Co-operative Bank, Credit Bank, DTB, Equity Bank Group, Faulu Microfinance Bank, KCB Bank, National Bank, NCBA, Rafiki Microfinance Bank, Stanbic Bank and Standard Chartered Bank. It is worth to note that Kenya Bankers Association has a membership of 46 Banks.

The awards celebration was held on Friday 15th, November 2019 at the Serena Hotel Nairobi and presided over by the Central Bank of Kenya Governor Dr. Patrick Njoroge.

KWFT’s performance was exceptional as we were the only Microfinance Bank which was awarded for having embedded Sustainable Finance Practices in all our banking operations.

The Institution submitted strong cases in its entry categories which went through a rigorous judging process where KWFT came out strong as follows:

• Category 2(D): Promoting Gender Inclusivity – Winner
• Category 7: Most Improved Bank Award – Winner
• Category 2 (A): Financing Small Medium Enterprises – 1st Runners Up
• Category 6: Best Overall Bank Award – 2nd Runners Up

KWFT commends the Kenya Bankers Association for providing a platform that encourages all Financial Institutions to embrace the Sustainable Finance Initiative (SFI) guiding principles to ensure the success of the banking industry.

KWFT will continue to offer sustainable solutions while encouraging gender inclusivity to foster financial inclusion for sustainable economic development.

The annual Nairobi International Trade Fair was this year held from 30th September to 6th October 2019. The trade fair attracted over 500 exhibitors from all over the world, who came to display their products and services. The event was also attended by thousands of people who came to learn more about emerging technologies in various industries, visit stands for various establishments as well as to have fun.

The colourful week event was officially opened by the ASK Patron, His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday 2nd October 2019. During the opening ceremony, the KWFT Managing Director Mr. Mwangi Githaiga was awarded the Life Governor Award by the President. This award was given to Mr. Mwangi for supporting agribusiness initiatives, which are aimed at ensuring food security at the National level and poverty eradication.

On Thursday 3rd October 2019, the show was graced by His Excellency the Deputy President, Dr. William Samoei Ruto. He was hosted at the KWFT stand by GM Marketing, Communications and Innovation, Juliana Wanjiru, GM Nairobi Zone, Charity Kabiru, Senior Manager- Product Sales – Agribusiness, Albert Bundi and the Nairobi Zone Regional Managers.

KWFT was recognized for its excellence in the following categories:

Best Stand in Current Show Theme Interpretation – Position 1

Best Microfinance Institution Stand – Position 1

KWFT stood out with an impressive stand which was strategically located along the main street of the showground. The stand also had a demo farm and various agri-assets on display. Some of the assets on display were two tractors, a pickup, a mini milk dispensing machine and a milking machine.

KWFT appreciates everyone who visited the Institution’s stand and remains committed to transforming lives.

KWFT participated in this year’s edition of the Central Kenya ASK Show which was held last week from 11th to 14th September at the Kabiru-ini Show ground – Nyeri.  The event was attended by a bevy of exhibitors and members of the general public.

The successful show was officially opened on Friday 13th September by the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation, Hon Mwangi Kiunjuri, who also visited the KWFT stand accompanied by the Nyeri County Governor, Hon Mutahi Kahiga.

The Mt Kenya West team were also privileged to host KWFT’s senior management at the show, they included the Director Microfinance, Mr. George Kinyanjui, Director Operations, Nancy Mwangi, General Manager Marketing, Communications & Innovation, Juliana Wanjiru and the General Manager, Central Zone, Martin Aritho who was the host.

The KWFT stand was remarkable in all ways and it attracted large crowds. With an impressive stand and display of assets, the stand was inarguably the best stand at the show. On display were agri assets which included: a tractor and plough, a pickup, a multipurpose motorbike, solar water pump and a milking machine, a milk ATM, chaff cutters and choppers. The multipurpose jiko, jikokoa and jiko kisasa also provided a glimpse into the affordable cooking solutions made possible by KWFT. The stand also had a demo farm with innovations such as hanging gardens and multi-storage garden.

KWFT emerged victorious in the following categories:

• Best Microfinance Institution Stand – Position 1
• Stand That Best Interprets Current Show Theme – Position 1
• The Best Stand in Community Service – Position 3

The Mombasa International Trade Fair 2019 was a great success. The event took place from 4th to 8th September, 2019 at the A.S.K Jomo Kenyatta Showground – Mkomani.

The Trade Fair was officially opened by the President and Patron of the Agricultural Society Kenya H.E Hon Uhuru Kenyatta who was also accompanied by other key Government Officials, among them was the Mombasa County Governor H.E Hassan Ali Joho.

KWFT was delighted to host the Taita Taveta County Executive Committee (CEC) Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation Mr. Davis Mwangoma. He commended the Institution for the exceptional work that KWFT is doing in impacting lives.

The event attracted more than 190 exhibitors including agricultural and livestock farmers, ministries, parastatals, financial institutions, institutions of higher learning, telecommunication companies, manufacturers and motor vehicle companies. In addition the trade fair attracted over 5000 show goers both adults and children.

The Agricultural Society identifies the great need to adopt modern technologies and innovations in agriculture and trade as reflected in the current show theme; “Promoting    Innovation and Technology in Agriculture and Trade”.

KWFT is proud to have participated in the competitive judging exercise, which saw the Institution perform exceptionally in the following categories:

• Best Microfinance Institution Stand – Position 1
• Best Stand in Community Service – Position 2
• Best stand in Youth Empowerment and Capacity Building – Position 13

As always, not only did the KWFT stand standout, but it also attracted thousands of people who visited the stand to learn more about various products and services as well as to see the interesting demo items on display, they included a demo farm with a vertical and hanging garden, chicken cage, swimming pool accessories, solar products such as a water pump, 4 bulb, a solar tv and a tuk tuk.

KWFT appreciates everyone who visited the Institutions’ stand and remains committed to empowering farmers to embrace modern farming technologies to foster food security as well as to improve the economy.

This year’s edition of the Agricultural Society of Kenya’s Nakuru National Show was held last week from 3rd to 7th of July.  The event saw over 200 exhibitors participate to showcase their products and services. Exhibitors were drawn from various sectors such as the government institutions, agriculture, manufacturing, trade, financial services as well as educational institutions.

KWFT stood out with an impressive stand which was strategically located along the main street of the showground. The stand also had a demo farm and various agri-assets on display. Some of the assets on display were a tractor, a mini milk dispensing machine, a milking machine, energy saving jikos and chaff cutters.

The show was officially opened on Friday 5th July by the Cabinet Secretary for Water and Sanitation, Hon Simon Chelugui, who visited our stand accompanied by the CAS for Agriculture, Mr. Andrew Tuimur and the CEC for Agriculture, Nakuru County, Dr. Immaculate Maina.

• KWFT emerged victorious in the following categories:
• Best Microfinance Institution Stand – Position 1
• Best Innovation and Invention Stand – Position 1
• Best Stand in Community Service – Position 3
• Best stand in Youth Empowerment and Capacity Building – Position 3

The Managing Director Mr. Mwangi Githaiga was awarded a certificate during the ceremony in recognition of 10 years of continuous service to the society from the ASK Patron, His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta.

KWFT appreciates everyone who took their time to visit our stand, as well as our esteemed stakeholders for the continued support that they accord this great Institution as we continue to impact the lives of thousands of families countrywide.

KWFT is delighted to have participated in this year’s Global Money Week celebrations in partnership with Kenya Bankers Association and Junior Achievement Kenya. This is an annual event that is engineered by the Child and Youth Finance International, an organization that seeks to empower the youth in matters of financial literacy and inclusion. The celebrations are geared towards teaching young people how to earn and save and spend wisely.

KWFT hosted a total of 40 students at the Head Office from the following three high schools within Nairobi:

• The Kenya High School
• Embakasi Girls High School
• Oloolaiser Boys High School

The students were engaged in various activities that included a fun trivia and an introductory presentation on the Institution. They were then stationed in various departments across Head Office, where they participated in job shadowing, learning from their assigned mentors and getting a real feel of a corporate setting.

The students got an opportunity to visit the Managing Director’s office and engage him on his role as the Head of the Institution. This was followed by a colourful closing ceremony that saw the students role play as various heads of departments faced with a particular task. It was exciting to see the immense potential that these students have, and this goes to show that the future of this country is promising.

The ceremony was concluded on a high note with the student receiving certificates of participation.

KWFT remains committed to undertaking activities that support and empower the youth of this country.

The annual edition of the Agricultural Society of Kenya’s Eldoret National Show was this year held from the 6th to the 9th of March.  The event hosted over 100 exhibitors from various sectors, among them the agricultural, manufacturing and financial services sectors. KWFT put up an excellent stand with a demo farm and agri-assets on display. Some of the assets on display were chaff cutters, a tractor, a mini milk dispensing machine and a milking machine.

The show was officially opened on Friday 8th March by the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Hon Mwangi Kiunjuri. KWFT was honoured to have him visit our stand where he was hosted by GM Marketing, Communications and Innovation, Juliana Wanjiru and the top management of the North Rift Region. The CS’s entourage also comprised of other dignitaries, among them the Uasin Gishu Governor, Jackson Mandago, PS Livestock, Mr. Harry Kimutai, ASK officials including the national chair, Mrs. Annabella Kiriinya, the vice chair Mr. Jackson Tuwei  and the CEO Mr. Batram Muthoka .

The largely successful event saw KWFT recognized in 4 awards as follows:

• Best Microfinance Institution Stand – Position 1
• Best stand in Youth Empowerment and Capacity Building – Position 1
• Best Stand in Community Service – Position 2
• Stand That Best Interprets Current Show Theme – Position 3
• Best Innovation and Invention Stand – Position 3

KWFT remains committed to providing innovative solutions to support agribusiness and food security in the country.

KWFT is proud to have participated in the Beyond Zero Marathon which was held on Sunday 10th March 2019. The marathon is the main fundraising platform for the Beyond Zero Initiative by H.E. the First Lady, Margaret Kenyatta.

The Institution registered 110 participants who were in teams of 10 each and participated in the corporate race of 10km. Also present were KWFT Directors who not only attended the event, but joined the team in running the 10 KM corporate race.

KWFT is also proud to have been a Registration Partner for this Initiative which saw the Institution register over 850 participants in all our 111 branches spread across the country. It’s worth mentioning that we had 64 elite runners registering with us for this marathon.

The highlight of the event was the Institution’s big win in the corporate teams category where KWFT emerged Position 1 and was awarded a trophy presented to the team by the First Lady herself. She expressed her appreciation for the support that KWFT accorded to the marathon. The President also congratulated the team for the stellar performance.

The Institution is proud of its association and partnership with the Beyond Zero Initiative and wishes the Initiative all the best in all its efforts in focusing on health issues which include adolescent health, fistulae and social inclusion of children living with disability, reproductive health, zero new HIV infections, zero maternal and child deaths, immunization of children, distribution of insecticide treated nets and exclusive breastfeeding.

May God bless you all.

KWFT held a successful Road Show at the North Coast Region which commenced on 25th to 29th September 2018. The Road Show was put together to promote to the Institution’s water, hygiene and sanitation products portfolio. Thus we scheduled a 5 day promotional road show to deliver over 400 tanks to our clients in Kilifi County. The promotion covered the following areas:

• Tuesday 25th September 2018 – Kilifi
• Wednesday 26th September 2018 – Malindi South
• Thursday 27th September 2018 – Malindi North
• Friday 28th September 2018 – Watamu Unit
• Saturday 29th September 2018 – Bamba Unit

The official road show flagging off was held on 25th September, at the Karisa Maitha Stadium in Kilifi town and KWFT was privileged to have received a lot of support from Kilifi County led by the Deputy Governor Hon. Gideon Saburi who was the Chief Guest accompanied by the County Commissioner HE Magu Mutindika among other County Officials. KWFT was also well represented by the Board Chair, Mrs Agnes Odhiambo, Operations Director, Mr. Chege, Deputy Operations Director Mr. Kinyanjui, GM, Marketing and Communications Juliana Wanjiru, GM, Customer Experience Penina Mwangi, GM, Insurance Agency Veronica Karoki, GM, Pwani Zone Jane Bundi, Regional Manager Abdi Ibrahim Musa as well the North Coast Regional Team, Product Sales and the Marketing team. Present at the stadium were our esteemed clients and the members of the public in general who came to grace the occasion.

It was all celebration at the flag off ceremony as our clients could not hide the joy of the great impact that KWFT has had in their lives and that of their families.

Being good corporate citizens; KWFT together with our partner Exotank donated 6 water tanks (5,000 litres each) to 5 Public Schools and 1 Health Institution in Kilifi County, who were in need of water storage facilities as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility. The schools were also gifted with 2 branded balls each i.e. a football and a volleyball.

Through the vibrant road show, KWFT received great publicity as the event was featured on to TV stations; Newspapers as well as on social media.

The five day Road Show was a great milestone as the Institution received very many inquiries and contacts for business conversion.

I wish to appreciate Kilifi County Government and our esteemed clients for the continued business support and we look forward to greater partnerships in future.

KWFT once again participated in the annual Nairobi International Trade Fair which commenced on 1st Oct 2018 to 7th Oct 2018 at the Jamhuri Park in Nairobi. The event was well attended by thousands of show goers and it attracted over 300 exhibitors both local and international players in diverse industries.

The Nairobi show was officially opened on Thursday by His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta who visited various stands and made a key note speech on his commitment towards supporting agriculture.

The show was also graced by several guests as follows:

• The Nairobi Governor His Excellency Mike Mbuvi Sonko who was the chief guest on Wednesday and who also visited our stand. He was received and taken round the stand by GM, Marketing & Communications, Juliana Wanjiru in the company of GM, Nairobi Zone, Charity Kabiru, Regional Managers Samuel Chege and Wilson Ikua and Senior Manager – Product Sales Albert Bundi. The Governor commended the Institution for the great work we are doing to transform the nation.
• The Deputy President William Ruto who was the chief guest on Friday and who presented a trophy to the Institution for the Best Micro- Financial Institution Stand award.
• The Kenya Forest Service Chairman Peter Kinyua, who was the chief guest on Saturday and who also presented the Institution with a trophy for the Stand That Best Interprets the Current Show Theme (Non Agro Financial Industry) award.

KWFT is cognizant that embracing innovation and technology is key especially on fostering economic growth as it can help address various challenges such as in food production, the health sector, manufacturing and in providing affordable housing just to mention a few. These portfolios have seen KWFT acknowledged for its tremendous social mission. The awards include:

• Best Micro- Financial Institution Stand – Position 1
• Stand That Best Interprets The Current Show Theme (Non Agro Financial Industry) – Position 1
• Best in Youth Activities, Empowerment and Capacity Building – Position 2
• Best Innovation and Invention Stand – Position 3
• Stand That Best Interprets The Current Show Theme – Position 3

The KWFT stand was outstanding and it attracted a huge number of people who visited to make enquiries on the diverse and unique products offered by the Institution on display. These included the following; a tractor, chaff cutters, milking machine, multipurpose motorbike, egg incubators, gran silo, poultry cage, solar water heater, pick-up and a solar water pumping machine. There was also a live demo on display which included: a demo garden with drip lines, poultry farming, aquaculture, apiculture, nyumba smart, solar TV and lanterns, jiko okoa, kuni okoa and the jiko kisasa pawa.

KWFT remains committed to support the Agri sector to ensure food security at the households as well as to help increase income and productivity, which is important to fighting poverty and uplifting lives.

The Central Kenya National Show was held last week in Nyeri from 12th to 15th September at the Kabiru-ini Show ground. The 4-day event was filled with pomp and colour and attended by over 100 exhibitors. Also in attendance were members of the public who consisted of farmers, entrepreneurs and other attendees both from Nyeri County and other parts of the country.

The show was officially opened on Friday 14th September 2018 by the Cabinet Secretary –Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Hon.Mwangi Kiunjuri who managed to visit the KWFT stand to see the different innovations that KWFT was showcasing at the Show. Among those who accompanied him were the Principal Secretary for Livestock, Harry Kimutai, Nyeri County Deputy Governor, Caroline Karugu, ASK Chairperson, Annabel Kiriinya, ASK CEO, Batram Muthoka among others.

The Cabinet Secretary was highly impressed at the impact created by KWFT and the various innovations and solutions that the Institution is offering farmers and business people to enable them to propel their businesses to greater heights. He was particularly interested in the egg incubator that is giving farmers a chance to enhance their poultry farming productivity and expressed his willingness to partner with KWFT to foster further economic empowerment in the community and among farmers groups. He was also thrilled to get a chance to experience first-hand the efficiency of the multipurpose jiko as well as test driving the tractor being showcased at the stand.

The KWFT stand was remarkable in all ways and it attracted throngs of showgoers due to the innovative display of assets. On display were some of the assets that the Institution finances such as a tractor, a pickup, a milking machine, a milk ATM, chaff cutters, choppers, modern chicken cage, incubators, multipurpose motorbike and solar water pump. The multipurpose jiko, jikokoa and kuniokoa also provided a glimpse into the affordable and efficient cooking solutions made possible by KWFT. The demo farm was healthy and a great representation of various types of modern farming practices that KWFT supports.

The impressive stand, execution and adherence to the show theme of ‘Promoting Innovation in Agriculture and Trade’ also saw the Institution emerge as the winner in the following categories:

• Best Stand in Youth Empowerment and Capacity Building – Position 1
• Best Stand in Community Service – Position 1
• Best Stand in Theme Interpretation – Position 2

In his speech at the opening ceremony, the CS promised to continue supporting farmers by delivering subsidized farm inputs, improving access to markets and credit services to enable them to raise their incomes and improve their livelihoods.

KWFT will continue to empower farmers to embrace modern farming technologies to foster food security at the households and at the national level.

It is with great pleasure to inform you that KWFT received awards in two prestigious industry awards namely Banker Africa – East Africa Awards 2018 and the Think Business Awards 2018 which were held on the 11th and 12th May 2018 respectively at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Nairobi,

The two annual awards are designed to recognise and appreciate outstanding performance and excellence in the financial services industry.
From the two awards, KWFT scooped five awards as follows:

Banker Africa – East Africa Awards 2018

• Best Microfinance Institution – Kenya
• Best Microfinance Bank – East Africa

Think Business Awards 2018

• Overall Best Micro-finance Bank in Kenya 2018.
• Best MF Bank in Product Innovation.
• Best Microfinance Bank in Agriculture and Livestock Financing.

KWFT is honoured to receive these awards as an affirmation that the Institution has made great strides in offering our clients products and services that uplift the lives of thousands of people in the Nation today, making us a unique Microfinance Bank.

Present during both celebrations were key stakeholders in the financial sector. Also during the events, key note speeches were made urging the financial institutions to innovate constantly in order to align themselves to new technologies to enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

KWFT once again took part in the Upper Hill Community Clean- Up organised by The Upper Hill District Association (UHDA) in partnership with Nairobi City County, supported by Madison Insurance Company, Freebird Media Services and Ivent Concepts.

The Upper Hill District Association (UHDA) is an association that represents the interests of property/ land owners, businesses and the residents based in Upper Hill District.

The community clean up activity is aimed at promoting public awareness on community cleanliness, environmental protection, effective use of resources as well as increasing public support and cooperation from various participants to come together to clean up – Upper hill community and its environs.

KWFT was well represented the head office team lead by GM Marketing & Communications Juliana Wanjiru, Administration Manager Naomi Njenga as well a team of vibrant and proactive staff members from various departments.

The clean-up was a great success and KWFT received a certificate for participating in the community clean up.

KWFT will continue to support the Upper Hill District Association (UHDA) for greater partnerships.

KWFT participated in the ‘Banker for a day’ Job Shadow Activity that was championed by Kenya Bankers Association for the second time. The activity was coordinated by Junior Achievement Kenya, which is a business club based in high schools that teaches business insights to students.

The job shadow activity was a part of the Global Money Week (GMW) program that is an initiative by Child & Youth Finance International (CYFI), an international organization that recognises that poverty is a global challenge and has dedicated itself to fight poverty through providing the youth with knowledge on how to earn and spend money responsibly. .

KWFT hosted 45 students from Kenya High, Embakasi Girls and St. Georges Girls High Schools on 14th March 2018 at the KWFT head office. The theme of the event was based on the Global Money Week 2018 theme: Money Matters Matter! The students engaged in interactive sessions, job shadowing in several departments and visited one of our branches. .

Above all, the students had an opportunity to visit the Managing Directors office for an interactive session where the students asked him so many important questions in the quest to know more about the Institution as well as life skills This was a great inspiration to the girls as he encouraged them to work extra hard, aim higher and understand that no top position is unattainable. The students also had an opportunity to interact with the KWFT senior management as well as the KWFT Family. .

Grand Visit by the KBA CEO Dr. Habil Olaka .

KWFT was also privileged to host the Kenya Bankers Association CEO Dr. Habil Olaka, who paid a courtesy call to express his appreciation to KWFT for hosting and mentoring the students at the Institution. He praised KWFT for its exemplary support in the student’s mentorship and reiterated that KWFT was the Best Bank in implementing the GMW 2018. .

KWFT appreciates the efforts of the Kenya Bankers Association and Junior Achievement Kenya in ensuring that the youth acquire financial education with the aim of ensuring they make informed financial decisions in the present as well as in future. .

KWFT has identified the financial education gaps among youth and is dedicated to continue addressing them through the mentorship programs. Further to this, the Institution will continue offering them further trainings through offering internship and job opportunities as well.

KWFT takes great pleasure to have emerged a winner in the annual Catalyst Awards 2017. The awards themed “Recognizing Catalytic Finance that Impacts Industry, economy and society” was launched in 2016 to honour institutions that have embedded the industry’s Sustainable Finance Guiding principles in their core operations and lending practices.

The awards ceremony was hosted by The Kenya Bankers Association (KBA), on 6th February 2018 at the Hilton Hotel in Nairobi. Present during the ceremony were various Banks, Fintechs and other key financial sector players.

During the event, Dr. Habil Olaka, CEO KBA said that “Through the integration of sustainability issues directly into our core business, we can fundamentally contribute to job creation and social inclusion, thus helping the society to address challenges such as economic inequity”.

The event was also graced by the Kenya National Treasury Director General Dr. Geoffrey Mwau, who highlighted the policies that the government has put in place to encourage players to innovate, scale up and support climate change-resilient investments. He added that the National Treasury in their Draft 2018/2019 Budget Policy Statement has indicated that it will help accelerate the uptake of new financial instruments such as green bonds to advance the green economy development agenda.

The Catalyst Awards had 33 entries which were submitted by 14 financial institutions and Fintechs. After a meticulous and highly competitive judging exercise, KWFT was acknowledged and received a prestigious award In: Best Practice in Sustainable Finance Category – (Tier 2 Bank)

KWFT shall continue to research, innovate and develop competitive products and services in line with embracing the Sustainable Financing Initiatives (SFI) to achieve all our business goals.

The Nairobi International Trade Fair took place from 2nd October to Sunday 8th October 2017, at Jamhuri Park/Showground. The 7 day event offered great opportunities for regional, continental and global exhibitors to display and demonstrate their products and services. It also gave the visitors a platform to meet people from different countries and backgrounds, hence creating avenues for interaction and exchange of ideas and experiences.

KWFT had an outstanding stand which displayed various products and services in line with the show theme “Promoting Innovation And Technology In Agriculture And Trade.” The Institutions’ stand attracted a huge number of people attending the show who expressed interest in the diverse products and services offered by the Institution especially the ones on display which included: Home improvement portfolio which incorporates the micro housing, cooking, lighting and water storage solutions, we also had affordable agri-assets solutions and a live demo farm. Being a unique microfinance Bank, KWFT also carried out live transactions which included Agency banking and M-Pesa services.

GUESTS

The KWFT team at the showground were privileged to host the Operations Director Mr. Anthony Chege on Monday, who was delighted to host the Nairobi Deputy Governor Polycarp Igathe. The Deputy Governor was taken round the KWFT stand by the Operations Director who applauded the Institutions milestones and its impact to the Nation.

On Tuesday we also pleased to host our very own Board Member Ms. Zipporah Mogaka who was also very impressed with the stand and the teams’ efforts in outreach activities to clients and potential clients as well as positioning the Institution. On Wednesday, KWFT’s Managing Director Mr. Mwangi Githaiga also visited the show and was hosted by the amazing team on the ground. Mr. Mwangi also had an opportunity to pay courtesy calls to various stands which included Kenya Seed Ltd, Prisons, Fresha Dairy Products, Chinese Pavilion and at the famous dairy cows famers section. Last but not least we also had Mr. Parmain ole Narikae, the Managing Director of Kenya Industrial Estates visited the KWFT stand and addressed the KWFT team present. He commended the Institution for the great work on social impact and congratulated KWFT for receiving an award.

AWARDS

With over 300 local/regional exhibitors and 120 international exhibitors from diverse industries, KWFT scored highly in various very competitive categories. After the meticulous judging exercises KWFT emerged the best as follows:

1. 1. Best Micro- Financial Institution Stand – Position 1
   2. Best Organization/ Association In Community Projects/Service Stand – Position 4
   3. Stand That Best Interprets Current Show Theme (Non-Agro based and financial industry) – Position 5

The NITF was a great success for the Institution as the team collected contacts for business conversion, opened accounts and live transactions were done.

PUBLICITY

The Kenya Farmers magazine (an internal ASK Publication) displayed a photo that had the President at the KWFT stand in Nyeri (which had trended in the presidents’ social media pages).The magazine has a wide readership across the country which is good for publicity.

KWFT also appeared in their marketing banners with a photo of The President visiting our stand during last year’s NITF.

This goes a long way in showcasing how our brand is well positioned and appreciated.

KWFT actively participated in the Kitale National show which was held from 11th to 14th October 2017 at the Kitale ASK Show Ground. The show was officially opened by Hon. Willy Bett, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries.

The ASK management has constantly positioned itself as the leading partner in encouraging innovation and technology in agriculture and trade. Thus the Kitale National Show attracted thousands of show goers including farmers, entrepreneurs and students who made their way to the grounds to gain up to date information on the current trends in the agri-industry.

Being Strategically placed KWFT was able to showcase unique, innovative products and services which included the home improvement portfolio – with a demo house (Nyumba smart), solar products, chepkube, water tank, poultry house, dairy farming, garden with drip lines, fish pond and a beekeeping kit. In addition, the Institution showcased some of the agri- assets that a farmer can be financed to undertake value addition processes to increase efficiency at the farm. They include the maize Sheller, milking machine, milk pasteurizer, Milk ATM, chopper, posho mill, planter, water heating system, weeder, earth auger, water pump, hand ridden tractor, pickup and a multipurpose motor bike for irrigation.

With continuous pursuit of offering innovative products and services KWFT has a remained a competitive organization to reckon with. As a result, through a thorough judging exercise the ASK Management recognized the Institution for its notable support to the farmers on provision of essential information on agriculture for improved production and generation of income as well provision of affordable financing. Thus KWFT received the following awards:

• The Best Micro financial Institutions Stand – 1st Position
• The Best Organization/Association in Community Projects/ Service Stand – 1 st Position
• The Best Stand in Youth Activities, Empowerments and Capacity Building – 1 st Position
• The Stand That Best Interprets The Current Show Theme (Non Agro based and Financial Industry ) – 1 st Position
• The Best Innovation And Invention Stand – 3 rd Position

KWFT will continue to offer its support to both farmers and entrepreneurs to help them achieve their goals as well as grow the economy.

The Nakuru Edition of the National A.S.K exhibitions was held from the 4th to the 8th of July at the Nakuru Showground. The show had over 200 exhibitors and attracted thousands of showgoers.

KWFT was privileged to host the Chief Guest Nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua during the official opening. He was very impressed by the work that the Institution is doing and commended their efforts in transforming lives. A team of Argentine delegation also visited the stand to learn about agribusiness financing model in Africa from an industry leader.

The five day event saw KWFT shine, true to its fashion, by displaying an exemplary stand and winning 3 awards which were:

• Best Microfinance Institution Stand – Position 1
• The Financial Stand That Best Interprets Show Theme – Position 2
• Best Stand in Community Service – Position 3

KWFT‘s outstanding stand attracted a large number of members of the public attending the show consequently getting potential contacts for business conversion. Most of the clients who visited the stand were interested in diverse products offered by the Institution especially the ones on display which included: multipurpose jiko, multipurpose motorbike, tractor, choppers, milk ATM among others.

KWFT remains committed to its clients and to serving the women of this country.

KWFT participated in the ASK South Eastern – Machakos Branch Show which was held from 28th June to 1st July 2017 at the Machakos Showground. The show was graced by over 100 exhibitors who attracted thousands of showgoers who flocked the showground making it a huge success.

KWFT was also privileged to host the Chief Guest for the official opening of the show, Machakos Governor Dr. Alfred Mutua. He was highly impressed by KWFT’s business model and products and showed a keen interest in Nyumba Smart, promising to visit one of the beneficiaries and learn more about the product.

The KWFT stand enjoyed massive traffic owing to the great display and impressive stand, which also enabled the Institution to emerge victorious in the following judging classes:

• Best Micro- Financial Institution Stand – Position 1
• Best Stand in Youth Activities, Empowerments and Capacity Building – Position 1
• Stand That Best Interprets Current Show Theme – Position 1
• Best Organization/ Association in Community Projects/Service Stand – Position 1
• Best Innovation and Invention Stand–Position 2
• The Branch Chairman Commendation Trophy

The KWFT staff present at the stand jubilated and celebrated the great win and were overwhelmed to be joined by 2 girls in the Capture the Future program (a program by KWFT/KWH dedicated to sponsoring needy and bright girls through school) who had attended the show with their respective schools.

It was a double win for the Institution as on top of all the awards, the Institution managed to collect great leads for business conversion.

KWFT appreciates the Agricultural Society of Kenya for organizing the successful event which has given the Institution an opportunity to position itself in the county. KWFT remains committed in serving the Nation and driving financial inclusion while offering transformative products and services.

The 2017 Kakamega ASK Show was held at the Kakamega Showground from 15th to 17th June 2017. The show was designed to cover various counties which include Kakamega, Vihiga, Busia, Bungoma, Uasin Gishu and Nandi giving the show attendants a great opportunity to get enlightened in diverse portfolios such as agriculture, technology and in entrepreneurship.

The show was officially opened by the Deputy Governor of Kakamega County Prof. Philip M. Kutima who also visited our stand and was delighted to learn more about the Institution’s impact to the society. KWFT was also privileged to host Prof. Peter L. Shalo of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.

This year’s show hosted 48 exhibitors from the private and government sectors who had set up stands, from which, over 10,000 show attendants obtained valuable information guided by this year’s theme, ‘Promoting Innovation & Technology in Agriculture and Trade.

KWFT stand was exceptional, with the people of Kakamega being very receptive and appreciative of our products and services. At the stand, we had dedicated staff ready to address various inquiries from various guests such as the school going children, farmers and entrepreneurs. The stand incorporated a live demo farm displaying the following: Home improvement portfolio with; nyumba smart, solar powered TV, water tank and the pureit water purifier. The Agri portfolio included a hand driven tractor, posho mill, dairy farming, poultry house, a garden with drip lines, raised fish pond, beehive and a motor bike with a water pump. The stand attracted a huge number of people who were interested to get more information on KWFT’s unique products on display.

The Institution was once again recognized for its notable social impact to the society in transforming lives. For this reason KWFT received several prestigious awards during the show which include:

• Best Microfinance Institution Stand 1st Position
• Best Organization/Association In Community Service Stand 1st Position
• Best Stand In Youth Activities, Empowerments And Capacity 2nd Position
• Stand That Best Interprets The Show Theme 2nd Position

The Institution also supported the ASK CSR activity known as the Harvest Festival which was held at the ASK Church Milimani in Kakamega. The Institution donated food stuff towards supporting the needy.

KWFT appreciates the ASK management for organizing the unique platform for institutions to showcase their products and services at the County. KWFT will continue to offer agri-value chain players unique products and financing to support their ventures.

KWFT participated in the ‘Banker for a day’ job shadow activity that was championed by Kenya Bankers Association. The activity was coordinated by Junior Achievement Kenya, which is a business club based in high schools that teaches business acumen to students.

The job shadow activity was a part of the Global Money Week (GMW), an initiative by Child & Youth Finance International (CYFI), an international organization that works to provide children and youth around the world with access to financial services, enhance their awareness of economic rights, and empower them to build their assets, invest in their future, and ultimately break the cycle of poverty.

The activity was held on 7th June 2017 at KWFT Head Office in Nairobi and the theme of the event was based on the Global Money Week 2017 theme: Learn, Save, Earn. KWFT hosted a total of 30 students from Embakasi Girls High School and Kenya High School who were engaged in interactive educative sessions about the Institution, financial education, career, communication, etiquette skills as well as life skills. The students were also engaged in job shadowing in several departments of the Institution complete with a visit to the branch.

The crowning activity was when the students made a courtesy call to the Managing Director’s office to learn more about his role and have a feel of what it takes to be a Managing Director. They were very excited and some even took several photos while sited at his desk.

4 girls volunteered for a quiz which was structured on what was learned during the day which saw 3 girls get rewarded with a KWFT Teen Account worth Sh 10,000 and one girl from Embakasi who emerged the highest was rewarded with a Sh 20,000 deposit in her account by the Managing Director Mr. Mwangi. All the girls present were also very happy as they received KWFT branded hampers.

KWFT Managing Director, Mr. Mwangi Githaiga, lauded the efforts of Kenya Bankers Association and Junior Achievement Kenya in ensuring that the youth are educated in financial matters. He pledged to put in place a mentorship programme in JA Clubs in various high schools, in which top managers in KWFT will each get a school to mentor. KWFT remains committed to mentoring the youth, teaching them about finances and being a model financial institution in championing financial education among the youth.

KWFT participated in the 12th annual celebration of the Think Business Banking Awards 2017 which was held at Radisson Blu Hotel in Nairobi on Thursday 4th May 2017.

Driven by the strong theme of Digital Banking; The new frontier, the awards objective was to encourage innovation, prudence and stability in the banking sector by recognizing, awarding and celebrating exemplary performance in the sector.

The successful event had over 400 guests from the Kenya’s banking sector and was officiated by the Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communications Hon. Joseph Mucheru, who shared enlightening remarks on the current growth of technology and laid emphasis on digital banking in Kenya.

KWFT was recognized and awarded three trophies in the highly competitive categories namely:

• Overall Best Micro-Finance Bank – 1st Position
• Best Microfinance Bank in Agriculture and Livestock Financing – 1st Position
• Best Microfinance Bank in Product Innovation – 1st Runners Up

During the event KWFT’s very own founder Dr. Mary Okelo was awarded the Life Time Achievement Award. We salute and applaud her passion, hard work and resilience whose impact in the banking sector is acknowledged all over the world.

KWFT appreciates all its stakeholders and remains committed to impacting lives and creating sustainable financial inclusion.

KWFT was delighted to participate in The Eldoret National Show 2017 which took place from 8th to 11th March at the Eldoret Showground. The National show served as a great platform for KWFT to reach out to farmers, potential farmers and entrepreneurs who visited our stand to learn more about farming, entrepreneurship as well as receive financial advice.

The National Show was officially opened by Hon. Willy Bett, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. The event was also graced by the Uasin Gishu Governor H.E Jackson Mandago and his Deputy Governor Daniel Chemno and ASK Senior Management who were well received by the Managing Director Mr. Mwangi and the Operations Director Mr. Chege when they visited the KWFT stand.

This year’s show ran under a new theme; “Promoting Innovation and Technology in Agriculture and Trade”. The theme is inspired by the need to encourage farmers to adopt new technology for sustainable, profitable and efficient farming in Kenya. The show attracted a total number of 130 exhibitors, who showcased significant inventions, developments and unveil new technologies in agriculture and trade.

The KWFT stand was strategically located at showground and in it was a demo farm displaying the KWFT home improvement portfolio – with a house (Nyumba smart), solar products, chepkube, water tank, poultry house, dairy farming, garden with drip lines, fish pond and a beekeeping kit.

In addition, KWFT showcased some of the agri-assets that a farmer can be financed by the institution to undertake value addition processes and increase efficiency at the farm. They include maize sheller, milking machine, milk pasteurizer, Milk ATM, silage harvester, chopper, posho mill, planter, solar incubator, water heating system and a multipurpose motor bike for irrigation.

The KWFT’s ingenious setup fostered the Institution to gain recognition as a strong brand hence positioning KWFT in Uasin Gishu County and Rift valley region as a whole. The KWFT team also participated in different categories of the ASK judging exercise and upheld excellence by receiving awards in three very competitive categories as follows:

• The Best Microfinance Institution Stand – 1st Position
• The Best Organization/Association In Community Service Stand – 1st Position
• The Best Stand In Youth Activities, Empowerments And Capacity Building – 2nd Position

KWFT also received a courtesy call from the Managing Director of Kenya Seed Co. Ltd Mr. Azariah Soi, Kenya Dairy Board Managing Director Ms Margaret Kibogy and the Board Chairman Mr. Anthony Mutugi who interacted and celebrated with the team after receiving the awards.

KWFT will continue to offer support to the farmers by encouraging them embrace modern farming methods to earn good returns to uplift their living standards.

KWFT in partnership with Liberty Life Assurance Kenya Ltd today launched a unique cover dubbed KWFT Maisha Plus. The successful media launch was held at Hotel InterContinental.

Maisha Plus cover will be offered by KWFT to all clients at a premium of Ksh. 75. It is designed to give client’s beneficiaries’ peace of mind in the unfortunate event that the client passes on and ensures they are given a proper send off.

In the event of demise of a member the cover cushions the beneficiaries to receive a cheque of Kshs 100,000. This is intended to minimize financial strain to the family left behind through the cover.

“It’s always a hard time for the family and friends of the deceased. The financial burden accompanied with the loss is even more strenuous leaving the family emotionally and financially drained. Thus leading to numerous harambees to raise funds to cover the funeral expenses,” said Mwangi Githaiga, Managing Director KWFT.

The signing off ceremony accentuated one of KWFT’s core values of upholding the dignity of women in all its business engagements.

Mr. Abel Munda. Managing Director, Liberty Life Assurance expressed his pride in the partnership and assured KWFT great support we serve the women of our great Nation.

As a family oriented Institution, KWFT endeavours to maintain strong relationships with our clients to ensure that our relationship does not end impulsively.

KWFT actively participated in the community clean up day which was held on Friday, 20th January 2017. The clean up was organized by Upper Hill District Association (UHDA) in partnership with Nairobi City County.

KWFT is a member of Upper Hill District Association (UHDA), which represents the interests of property/land owners, businesses and residents based in Upper Hill District. Their goal is to improve the quality of life in Upper Hill by liaising with key authorities in the National and County Government.

KWFT was well represented by a team of 20 staff from all departments in Head Office. The inaugural Community clean up was a success as it had over 300 participants from 12 companies who showed up ready to clean. The companies included Nairobi City Council, CIC Insurance, Teachers Service Commission, Crowne Plaza Hotel, NTSA, NHIF, Mwalimu Sacco, Gimco Ltd, Riley Services, Oxford University Press E.A and Loreto Primary School.

During the cleanup KWFT covered the Community Area to Lower Hill Road.

KWFT looks forward to support more environmental initiatives.

It was pomp and colour as KWFT was named as the The Best Company To Work for Award 2016 during the award ceremony by Deloitte that was held on 23rd November 2016 at the Intercontinental Hotel. This is the 5th year that the Institution is being recognized as one of the best companies to work for in Kenya.

The Institution is also proud to have attained the standard of excellence required by the International Audit Firm confirming that KWFT’s Business and Human Resources Model is well appreciated and among the best in the Country.

The Deloitte Survey was very competitive and had over 120 participants from various industries in Kenya. Also worth noting is that KWFT was the only Financial Institution in the top 10 positions.

Securing Position 1 serves as an affirmation that the Institution has a very strong culture and has very strong relationships that make it a Unique Bank with a difference.
The entire Board and Management wishes to thank the KWFT Team, its clients and Stakeholders for believing in the Institution, working hard to serve the women of this country and voting us Number 1.

Early this year KWFT was nominated to participate in the Catalyst Awards 2016. The Award was set up by Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) to recognize banks that drive sustainability by embedding it in their core business operations, strategy and governance structures. It also highlighted and celebrated the role of the firm in driving innovative and sustainable business decisions that create long-term value for clients.

The award is a confirmation that the Institution’s believe in the triple bottom line approach that lays emphasis on social impact is rewarding.

For this reason after a rigorous and highly competitive judging exercise which involved preparing and presenting several case studies and clients visits, KWFT was recognized in the following categories:

• Overall Best Practice In Sustainable Finance (Tier 3) – Winner 1st Position
• Best Practice in Sustainable Finance; Tier 3 – Winner 1st Position
• Client Case Study – Financing Micro, Small & Medium-Sized Companies –  2nd Position

KWFT believes in Sustainable Financing and is committed to implement the Sustainable Financial Initiatives while remaining committed to its mission of partnering with women in their creation of wealth.

The Nairobi International Trade Fair commenced on 3rd October and will run till 7th October 2016. This year’s show is spectacular as H.E. President Uhuru Kenyatta visited the KWFT exceptional stand and he was absolutely impressed with all KWFT products and services. He commended the Institution for upholding its social mission of transforming the lives of thousands of women and their families.

The KWFT stand had special features which made the Institution to standout. The show included live banking services, money transfer services, agency banking services, home improvement demo showing KWFT’s outstanding home improvement portfolio which includes micro housing – nyumba smart, solar powered tv, milking machine, milk ATM, pick up, tractor and a multipurpose motor bike.

After very competitive and rigorous judging exercise which included companies from both public and the private sectors, KWFT was recognized in the following categories:

• Best Microfinance Institution Stand –  1st Position
• Best Stand In Youth Activities And Empowerments And Capacity Building – 3rd Position
• Best Innovative Stand And Invention Stand – 3rd Position (First time entrant)
• Best Organization/Association In Community Projects/Service Stand – 6th Position
• Stand That Best Interprets The Current Show Theme – 11th Position

KWFT is committed in supporting agribusiness ventures to foster food security and national growth.

The Mombasa International Trade Fair 2016 took place from 31 st August to 4 th September at the Mkomani Showground in Mombasa. The Trade Fair was officially opened by the President and Patron of the Agricultural Society Kenya H.E Hon Uhuru Kenyatta who was accompanied by other key Government officials who included the Governor for Mombasa H.E Hassan Ali Joho.

The five-day fair attracted more than 150 exhibitors including agricultural and livestock farmers, ministries, parastatals, financial institutions, institutions of higher learning, telecommunication companies, manufacturers and motor vehicle companies. In addition the trade fair attracted over 20,000 show goers both adults and children.

The well-known theme of ‘Enhancing Technology in Agriculture and Industry for Food Security and National Growth’ is an assurance that farmers and entrepreneurs will continually benefit from new technologies, innovations and value addition that promote both agribusiness and industrial development.

Guided by the Sustainable Development Goals, KWFT upheld excellence in the following two very competitive categories:

Best Financial Institution Other Than Banks – 2nd Position

Best Organization in Community Service Development – 2nd Position

The KWFT stand was unique and customized to display the key economic activities done by the people of Mombasa County. On display was a demo showing KWFT’s exceptional home improvement portfolio, solar powered TV, solar water heating systems, swimming pool pumps & filters, water softening machines, motorboat engines, water purifiers, car wash machine and a multipurpose motor bike.

The youth of Mombasa County have greatly benefited from most of these products as they easily access affordable financing from KWFT and this has gone a long way in curbing vices and in turn fostering economic growth in the County.

KWFT appreciates everyone who visited our stand and remains committed to working with farmers, entrepreneurs as well as the County Government of Mombasa to enhance food security and national growth.

Kenya Women Microfinance Bank in partnership with Kenya Women Holding made history on 4th August 2016 when it unveiled its first epic documentary on the untold story of our great Institution which has transformed the lives of thousands of women in Kenya for the last thirty four years.

The event was held at the Serena Hotel in Nairobi and was graced by more than 200 guests from various financial institutions, insurance firms, development partners, as well as staff 0representation from head office, zones office and the regions. We were also honored to have the presence of our esteemed clients who were featured in the documentary, namely: Grace Tuva Kitsa, Mercy Wangui Wamai, Helimilisa Nyanchama Nyakundi, Tecla Jebotip Samoei and Gladys Wairimu Mwangi.

The documentary highlighted KWFT’s transformation from humble beginnings, starting as a small microfinance institution in the early 1980’s with 2 offices in Karatina & Kilifi and evolving into the leading and the largest robust Microfinance Bank we are today. It also featured the five clients who shared their personal experiences on their remarkable journey as KWFT beneficiaries over the years. They all spoke passionately of how KWFT has helped them achieve their goals and objectives. It was even more fulfilling to see the clients’ spouses affirming the Institution’s role in their success stories.

During the event the proud clients overwhelmingly appreciated the fact that they are now bankable and beacons of hope to their families.

KWFT is proud of the great milestones and social impact it has made in the country through various innovative initiatives that address the holistic needs of women and their families. KWFT appreciates all clients and partners for their continued support and remains committed to pursue its great mandate to achieve full financial inclusion.

The recently concluded Kisumu ASK Show was held at the Mamboleo Show Ground from 27th to 31st July 2016 and it was a great success for KWFT as the Institution got an opportunity to position itself in the great Kisumu County.

The show was officially opened by the Agriculture, Livestock & Fisheries Cabinet Secretary Hon. Willy Bett on 29th July 2016. Present also during the event was the Kisumu County Governor Jack Ranguma. KWFT was also honored to host the Senator of Kisumu County Hon Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o at our stand.

The show attracted over 10,000 members of the public, with nearly 100 exhibitors from the private and government sectors who had set up stands from which members of the public would obtain valuable information corresponding to this year’s theme, ‘Enhancing technology in agriculture and industry for food security and national growth’.

The KWFT stand was outstanding with the people of Kisumu being very receptive and welcoming of KWFT’s products and services. The stand incorporated a demo farm displaying the following: Home improvement portfolio such as; nyumba smart, solar powered TV, water tank and the pureit water purifier. The Agri portfolio included a hand driven tractor, posho mill, dairy farming, poultry house, a garden with drip lines, raised fish pond and a motor bike with a water pump. The stand attracted a huge number of people who were interested to get more information on KWFT’s unique products on display.

The Institution was once again recognized for its remarkable social impact to the society, owning to the triple bottom-line approach which entails people, planet and profit. KWFT has also embraced Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in all its products and services thus having clients as the focal point that drive the Institution to endeavour to transform lives from poverty level to empowering them to achieving their goals and ambitions.

For this reason KWFT received several prestigious awards during the show which include:

• Best Microfinance Institution Stand – 1st Position
• Best Organization/Association In Community Service Stand – 1st Position
• Best Stand In Youth Activities, Empowerments And Capacity Building – 2nd position

KWFT appreciates the ASK management for organizing the unique platform for institutions to showcase their products and services at the County. KWFT will continue to offer agri-value chain players unique products and financing to support their ventures.

It is with great pleasure to announce that the Agricultural Society of Kenya Show Management has yet again acknowledged KWFT for its great performance during the just concluded Judging activity. The show was officially inaugurated by the Agriculture, Livestock & Fisheries Cabinet Secretary Hon. Willy Bett on 8th July 2016 and he highly commended all Institutions for the great work they are doing to support rural communities by supporting various value chains in agribusiness.

The show commenced on Monday 4th July and ended on 9th July 2016. The Nakuru Show covered four counties namely; Nakuru, Nyandarua, Baringo and Samburu Counties. The four counties are well covered by the following KWFT offices: Nakuru Branch, Nakuru west, Nakuru East, Njoro, Marigat, Ravine, Maralal, Nyahururu, Olkalou, Gilgil, Naivasha Branch, Naivasha Unit, Engineer and Njabini Unit and it attracted over 150 exhibitors.

The KWFT Stand was strategically placed and evidently stood out from the rest.  At the Stand different products were showcased including a demo farm thus attracting enormous human traffic and referrals.

KWFT was also honoured to host a delegate from the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mr. Mohammad Javad Emamian (third Secretary) at our stand who was very impressed with how the Institution is transforming lives in the rural communities. He was very interested in Low cost Housing, solar systems, and WASH products and looks forward to partnering with KWFT.

The ASK Judges at the Nakuru Show commended the KWFT business model and after a thorough judging exercise, KWFT once again gained recognition in different categories, which include:

• The Best Microfinance Institution Stand – 1st Position
• The Best Stand In Youth Activities, Empowerment And Capacity Building – 2nd Position
• The Best Organization/Association In Community Service Stand – 3rd Position

KWFT will continue to offer unique products and financing to support farmers in their agribusiness ventures.

The county with the slogan “the place to be” Machakos County, was host to The South Eastern Machakos Branch ASK Show which commenced on 29 th June and ended on 2 nd July 2016.The show was officially opened by Hon. Alfred Mutua on Friday 1 st July 2016.

The Machakos Show covered six other counties which includes; Machakos, Makueni, Kitui, Garissa, Kajiado and Taveta and it has attracted over 120 exhibitors. The KWFT Stand was strategically positioned and clearly stood out from the rest. There were different assets being showcased that attracted huge human traffic at the stand as well as a demo farm which displayed different products financed by KWFT.

The Governor visited the KWFT stand and he was impressed by the innovative and value add products offered by KWFT.He greatly commended the Institution for its great work in supporting the rural communities and showed great interest in Nyumba Smart product, Solar products and irrigation technology powered by the motorbikes. In addition to this, the ASK Judges at the Machakos Show commended the KWFT business model and after a meticulous judging exercise, the Institution once again gained recognition in different categories, which include:

• The Best Microfinance Institution Stand – 1 st Position
• The Best Organization/Association In Community Service Stand – 1 st Position
• The Best Stand In Youth Activities, Empowerment And Capacity Building – 1 st Position

God Bless KWFT as it continues to serve the families of this Great Nation.

It was a big win for the KWFT Western Region team, who for the first time participated in the Kakamega ASK Show from 16 th to 18 th June 2016 scooping several awards.

The show was officially inaugurated by the Busia County Governor Sospeter Ojaamong and it attracted over 20,000 guests from different walks of life including farmers, entrepreneurs and students.

This year’s Western Kenya Show provided a unique forum for exhibitors to show case their products and services to the large market provided by the residents of Kakamega, Busia, Vihiga and Bungoma Counties. The show attracted over 100 exhibitors and the KWFT stand couldn’t pass unnoticed. The stand was strategically placed hence positioning our strong brand.

Under this year’s show theme’ Enhancing Technology in Agriculture and Industry for Food Security and National Growth’, KWFT continues to provide products and services that add value and impact the lives of our clients. After rigorous judging exercise KWFT once again gained recognition in different categories, which include:

• The Best Organization/Association In Community Service Stand – 1 st Position
• The Best Stand In Youth Activities, Empowerments And Capacity Building – 1 st Position
• The Best Microfinance Institution Stand – 2 nd Position.

The KWFT’s outstanding stand had incorporated a demo displaying the following: Home improvement portfolio such as; nyumba smart, solar powered TV, water tank and the pureit water purifier. The Agri portfolio included a hand driven tractor, posho mill, dairy farming, poultry house, a garden with drip lines, raised fish pond and a motor bike with a water pump.

KWFT appreciates the ASK Show management for providing such forums at the county level which have enabled the Institution to position itself in the counties as well as have a one on one with our clients and potential clients.

KWFT remains committed to serving women and families of our great nation.

KWFT was awarded The Best Microfinance Bank in Kenya during the Banker Africa – East Africa Award ceremony 2016 which was held at Crown Plaza Hotel in Nairobi on Tuesday 25 th May 2016.

There was pomp and colour during the well attended ceremony graced by key influential professionals in the Banking Industry as well as bankers from the East African region. Present during the ceremony was the CPI Financial CEO Robin Amlot, CPI Financial Sales Director, Jonathan Despres, Central Bank of Kenya Chairman, Mohammed Nyaoga and Kenya Bankers Association CEO, Habil Olaka just to mention a few.

CPI Financial Company, whose head office is in Dubai, was the main organizer of the annual Banker Africa Awards. The awards are continent-wide programmes open to all banks and financial institutions in Africa whose aim is to recognize and reward outstanding performance and excellence in the financial services industry.

KWFT appreciates CPI Financial Company for recognizing and rewarding the banking industry players for their efforts and commitment in providing innovative banking products and services.

We commit to continue serving the families of this Great Nation to ensure financial inclusion is achieved and livelihoods are uplifted.

KWFT’s Managing Director Mr. Mwangi Githaiga accompanied by the KWFT Team received the Institution’s trophy and certificate of excellence.The eleventh celebration of the banking achievements gala dinner was held at Radisson Blu Hotel in Nairobi on Friday 29th April 2016.

Driven by the strong theme of Enhancing access to credit through customer scoring, the events objective was to encourage prudence and stability in the banking sector by recognizing, awarding and celebrating exemplary performance in the sector.

The awards were won on a combination of merits, including financial soundness, innovation, good governance, investment & scalability of technology, market research, marketing strategies, distribution network, as well a customer satisfaction.

The Think Business Chief Executive Officer Ochieng Oloo shared moving remarks about the banking sector and encouraged the industry players to adopt corporate governance in the banking industry. He also applauded the CBK Governor for giving guidance to the banks and ensuring that they remain compliant and operate within the Central Bank regulations.

The KWFT’s unique business model has continuously grained recognition both locally and internationally. The sky can only be the lower limit since the Institution endeavours to offer more innovative, life touching products and services that uplift the livelihoods of Kenyan families.

KWFT participated in its first ASK Show for the year 2016 with a bang! The Eldoret ASK National Show took place from 2nd to 5th March 2016. The official opening was graced by the Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mr. Willy Bett who also applauded the ASK Management for playing a key role in technology and trade in the North Rift region.

Under the theme’ Enhancing Technology in Agriculture and Industry for Food Security and National Growth’ the show attracted more than 150 exhibitors and KWFT gained top positions in different categories as follows:

• The Branch Chairman Commendation Trophy – 1st Position
• The Best Microfinance Institution Stand – 1st Position
• The Best Stand In Youth Activities, Empowerments And Capacity Building – 1st Position
• The Best Organization/Association In Community Service Stand – 2nd Position
• Best Stand In Embracing Information Technology And Communication Systems – 5th Position
• Best Stand In Interpretation Of The Show Theme – 18th Position

The Eldoret ASK National Show would not be complete without the KWFT’s outstanding stand. It incorporated a demo farm displaying the KWFT home improvement portfolio – with a house (Nyumba smart), water tank, poultry house, dairy farming, a garden with drip lines, fish pond and a beekeeping kit. In addition KWFT showcased some of the products that the Institution finances to add value to an agribusiness farmer. They include the Maize sheller, chopper, posho mill, tractor, pickup, solar powered TV, water heating system and a multipurpose motor bike for irrigation.

The ingenious setup fostered the Institution to gain recognition as a strong brand hence positioning KWFT in Uasin Gishu County. The Eldoret Show centred on how farmers can use technology to boost productivity as well as access to financial services to add value and make tangible profits through farming.

KWFT will continue to offer agri-value chain players unique products and financing to support their ventures.

Kenya Women Microfinance Bank for the third year running is delighted to support the First Lady’s Half Marathon slated for 6th March at Nyayo National Stadium.

At KWFT, we believe in upholding the dignity of women which is one of the Banks’ strong core value. For this reason KWFT has supported the Beyond Zero Campaign initiative with a Ksh 3 Million donation.

Recently the First Lady stated that her ultimate dream is to set up a Beyond Zero Hospital for Women and children. She remains optimistic in galvanising collective action to end preventable deaths of women while pregnant or giving birth, eliminate new cases of HIV and AIDS infections and renew the pledge for better healthcare for every woman and child in Kenya. Her unwavering resolve to run these marathons in partnership with like-minded partners has enabled the campaign to acquire and launch 36 Beyond Zero Mobile Clinics in 36 Counties.

The KWFT Managing Director commends H.E. Margaret Kenyatta for her great efforts in touching the lives of women and children in Kenya.

Unity is strength, when there is team work and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved. True to these words, KWFT has yet again been recognized in the just concluded 2015 Deloitte Survey Awards held on 19th November 2015 at the Royal Orchids Hotel.

KWFT received the following accolades:

• The Overall Second Best Company to work for in Kenya.
• The Overall Winner in the Financial Services (General Category)

The survey organized by Deloitte East Africa measures 10 parameters including leadership, operational effectiveness, inclusion, relationship with manager/supervisor, fairness and equity, overall job satisfaction, learning and development, values and culture, performance and recognition as well as remuneration.

KWFT stood out for its uniqueness in all the above as well as in having a supportive inclusive workplace which enables the KWFT team attain a work life balance for better proficiency at work which is commendable.

The excellence performance is an endorsement of KWFT as an employer of choice and a strong brand.

The KWFT management is humbled by the team’s commitment and confidence in the Institution which has enabled us maintain the prestigious awards for the 4th year running.

Congratulations Team KWFT.

Kenya Women Microfinance Bank yet again gained recognition in the just concluded Kitale ASK Show 2015 held from 28th to 31st October 2015.  The show was officially opened by Cabinet Secretary for Water and Irrigation Hon. Eugene Wamalwa who also visited the Institutions Stand.

The four day event saw hundreds of people including farmers, entrepreneurs and school children making their way to the grounds to gain up to date information on what is happening in the field of agriculture and trade.

KWFT had a very exceptional stand at the showground where the Institution showcased its unique innovative products and services that set the Institution apart from other financial providers. The Institutions’ stand was strategically placed where we showcased several essential machinery/assets which the Institution finances such as the plough tractor, Corn Sheller, chopper feed, posho mill and a demo farm among others.

After a meticulous judging exercise the ASK Management recognized KWFT for its notable input and support to the society and was recognised in two major categories, they include:

• The Best Microfinance Institution Stand – 1st Position
• The Best Organization/Association in Community Service Stand – 1st Position
• The Best Stand in Youth Activities, Empowerments and Capacity Building – 3rd Position

KWFT acknowledges that women play an important role in the economic development of this country. This recognition has fostered the Institution to continue providing innovative tailor made products and services that meet the needs of a family.

KWFT will continue to offer its unwavering support to both farmers and entrepreneurs to help them achieve their goals as well as grow the economy.

Kenya Women Microfinance Bank (KWFT) participated in the Citi Micro entrepreneurship Awards (CMA) Ceremony held on 27th October 2015 at Sarova Stanley Hotel in Nairobi.The event was graced by the CBK Governor Dr. Patrick Njoroge among other dignitaries in the financial industry.Supported annually by the Citi Foundation with AMFI, the CMA program aims at recognizing outstanding Microfinance clients who with the support of their Microfinance Institution/Bank have successfully established enterprises that have noticeably improved their lives as well as that of their communities.

The key categories included the women urban, service industry, women rural, trade industry, agriculture sector and the manufacturing sector, while the judging standards were based on innovation, business growth, employment creation, community contribution, financial discipline and sustainability of the business.

After a rigorous judging exercise KWFT gained recognition as 10 of its esteemed clients made it to the finals. The results were very impressive as KWFT client Philip Karanja, a joint borrower with Alice Karanja from Trans Nzoia Region emerged the overall winner winning the platinum Award.

The rest of the results were as follows:

KWFT is very proud of the winners and is delighted to be associated with both AMFI and CITI Foundation for their devotion of acknowledging the great contributions the entrepreneurs and the microfinance industry make to the growth of our economy.

His Excellency The President Uhuru Kenyatta presenting a trophy for the Stand That Best Interprets Current Show Theme to Mr. Mwangi Githaiga, the KWFT Managing Director, during the official opening of the Nairobi International Trade Fair 2015.

Kenya Women Microfinance Bank (KWFT) participated in this year’s Nairobi International Trade Fair which took place from 28th September to 4th October 2015 at the Jamhuri Park. This year’s theme was Enhancing Technology in Agriculture and Industry for Food Security and National Growth.

KWFT had a very unique stand at the showground where the Institution showcased its unique innovative products and services.

The ASK Management after a meticulous judging exercise recognized KWFT for its remarkable input and support to the society and was recognised in four key categories, they include:

• The Stand That Best Interprets Current Show Theme – 1st Position
• The Best Microfinance Institution Stand – 1st Position
• The Best Organization/Association in Community Service Stand – 3rd Position
• The Best Stand in Youth Activities, Empowerments and Capacity Building – 6th Position

nvesting in the agricultural industry is fundamental, thus KWFT recognizes that agriculture is the pillar to any growing economy thus the Institution provides finances for different products aimed at empowering farmers to help them optimize their production. KWFT has an agribusiness loan portfolio developed after a thorough research to help farmers invest in agri-business as a profitable venture. The agricultural products include daily farming, poultry farming, aquaculture, apiculture, input financing, agro dealer and the green house farmer’s kit.

KWFT also encourages farmers to embrace value addition as there is need to come up with more specialized competitive products whose value can meet the needs of customers both locally and internationally. Value addition enables a farmer to get more profit from having diverse products in the market as well as ensure food security at home.

In addition the Institution has partnered with renowned brands in the market to provide financing for agri-assets such as tractors, chaff cutters, incubators, pick-ups and enhanced motor bikes with water a pumps that the Bank finances its clients to be able to carry out their agribusiness activities efficiently and cost effectively.

KWFT continues to support innovative technology to boost agribusiness ventures in Kenya to enhance food security and National growth.

The Agricultural Society of Kenya Show Management has continually recognized KWFT for its outstanding performance in youth empowerment, community service, strong branding, technology, service delivery, innovative products and services that have contributed towards achieving several accolades.

This year’s theme ‘enhancing technology in agriculture and industry for food security and national growth’ has seen different stakeholders participate by exhibiting their innovative products and services to enable farmers and entrepreneurs access new technological information and financing opportunities.

In supporting the ASK mission KWFT participates to position its brand by showcasing innovative products and services. In return KWFT get contacts which are followed up and later converted to clients.

In the recently concluded Shows, KWFT was awarded the Best Microfinance Stand in the following regional shows:

• Eldoret ASK Show held from – 4th to 7th March 2015.
• South Eastern ASK Show – Machakos held from – 24th to 27th June 2015.
• Nakuru National ASK Show held from – 30th June to 4th July 2015.
• Kisumu ASK Show held from 29th July to 2nd August 2015.

The impressive results were achieved as a result of the great support and team work from the management, regional teams & head office team, partners, clients, and prospective clients who turned up in large numbers.

KWFT management appreciates the great support accorded as we continue endorsing agribusiness across the country.

In the second year running, KWFT has yet again supported the Beyond Zero Foundation which has partnered with the government in reducing maternal and child mortality, spearheaded by The First Lady of the Republic of Kenya, Her Excellency Margaret Kenyatta.

One of the KWFT key values is to uphold the dignity of women, thus it supports in initiatives that are geared towards provision of knowledge and resources which will benefit women and their families. KWFT believes that by supporting women it uplifts the family as well as the community at large.

For this reason, KWFT continues to confer its unwavering supports towards this commendable life changing initiative by donating Ksh 2 Million. KWFT Board Chair Mrs Nyambura Musyimi and Managing Director Mr. Mwangi Githaiga presented the cheque to the First Lady Her Excellency Margaret Kenyatta at the State House on 10th February 2015.

The 2015 First Lady’s Half Marathon – second Edition is set to kick start on 8th March 2015. Apart from monetary donation, KWFT staff will be taking part in the upcoming marathon in support of this great initiative as it seeks to embrace life in totality with the desire to ensure total reduction of maternal and child mortality rates.

The KWFT’s corporate team joined over 15,000 Kenyans to make a difference to our mothers and children by participating in the second edition of the First Lady’s Half Marathon for the Beyond Zero Campaign which was held on 8th March 2015 at the Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi. The life changing event was aimed at raising awareness and funds, to help reduce mother and child mortality as well as offer better healthcare systems to the expectant mothers.

KWFT’s team Captain Mr. Mwangi Githaiga – KWFT Managing Director, led the corporate team of 100 staff who represented the Institution by participating in the 10 Km race. KWFT – Unique as we are! emerged the Second Best Corporate Team in the First Lady’s Marathon. The Institution was recognized and awarded an exquisite trophy and 10 medals.

We salute the KWFT corporate team for their participation and support in the First Lady’s Half Marathon. The Institution’s undying support of the Beyond Zero Campaign is an acknowledgment that KWFT is committed to support and uphold the dignity of women for everyday KWFT strives to serve women with both financial and non-financial services to transform their lives.

The marathon being on the same day as the International Women’s Day, this was an exceptional way of celebrating the great women in our Nation for their hard work and achievements.

KWFT is proud and appreciates the First Lady H.E. Margaret Kenyatta’s initiative for making a difference to the lives of thousands of women and children in believe that “No Woman should die when giving life”.

Kenya Women Microfinance Bank has yet again been recognized as the winner of the Best Microfinance Bank Category during the 10th Edition of the Banking Awards ceremony which was held at Safari Park Hotel on Friday, 8th May 2015. The focus of the Banking Survey and Awards 2015 was based on innovative solutions offered by the banks to enhance financial access to a larger majority of the population, hence the theme “Innovating banking for greater financial inclusion”

The annual Banking Awards were established with the objective of encouraging prudence and stability in the banking sector by recognizing, awarding and celebrating exemplary performance in the sector. The aim is to draw the attention of the banking public to the performance of the various players in the sector, consequently, encouraging competition.

The awards are won on merit that includes; financial soundness, opinion polls, market research and professional assessment. A panel of distinguished local and international judges decide on the winners and the decisions in many instances are made on the basis of analysis of financial information – statutorily published by the banks.

For three years running KWFT has gained recognition by always emerging as the Best Microfinance Bank in Kenya. This can only be attributed to the bank’s exemplary services to its clients and the provision of innovative relevant products which are aimed at empowering the women and their families in order to uplift their livelihoods.

KWFT is a fully fledged Microfinance Bank offering banking services that include both savings and credit products that cater for the needs of Small, Micro and Medium sized Entrepreneurs. KWFT’s products and services are open to organized groups, individuals and corporates.

The Board and Management of KWFT appreciates all its stakeholders for their continued support as the Institution continues to empower more women; for to empower a woman is to empower a Nation.

Kenya Women Microfinance Bank partnered with the Association of Microfinance Institutions (AMFI) during the just concluded East Africa Microfinance Summit & Exhibition which took place from August 17th to 19th at Hilton Hotel and KICC in Nairobi.

The event was presided by His Excellency, Hon. William Ruto, EGH, the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya brought together over 500 microfinance practitioners from East Africa community and across the globe.

Hon William Ruto pointed out that MFI’s need to be more innovative in order to reach the deepest hinterlands and access the remotest areas. He also acknowledged that most people were educated, clothed, sheltered and ate three meals a day because of microfinance institutions.

The summits agenda was to discuss the progress made by microfinance institutions in poverty elevation while sharing knowledge and innovation in the industry.

Among other exhibitors, 10 clients KWFT had an opportunity to exhibit their innovative products revealing the true reflection of the work being done by Microfinance Banks in enhancing livelihoods through innovation and financing. The institution was able to get contacts from the exhibitions for conversion.

Kenya Women Microfinance Bank partnered with the Association of Microfinance Institutions (AMFI) during the just concluded East Africa Microfinance Summit & Exhibition which took place from August 17th to 19th at Hilton Hotel and KICC in Nairobi.

The event was presided by His Excellency, Hon. William Ruto, EGH, the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya brought together over 500 microfinance practitioners from East Africa community and across the globe.

Hon William Ruto pointed out that MFI’s need to be more innovative in order to reach the deepest hinterlands and access the remotest areas. He also acknowledged that most people were educated, clothed, sheltered and ate three meals a day because of microfinance institutions.

The summits agenda was to discuss the progress made by microfinance institutions in poverty elevation while sharing knowledge and innovation in the industry.

Among other exhibitors, 10 clients KWFT had an opportunity to exhibit their innovative products revealing the true reflection of the work being done by Microfinance Banks in enhancing livelihoods through innovation and financing. The institution was able to get contacts from the exhibitions for conversion.

Kenya Women Microfinance Bank received two awards during the Deloitte Best Company to Work For 2014 awards for the third year running.

Deloitte Human Capital Consulting Partner, Mr. Kimani Njoroge, handing a certificate of 2nd Best Company to Work for in Kenya, to KWFT Managing Director, Mr. Mwangi Githaiga, during the Deloitte Best Company to Work for 2014 Awards Ceremony held at Safari Park Hotel.

KWFT emerged the winner of the Mission Critical Innovation Award, 2012 in the Humanitarian/ Environmental Impact Category. The Event organized by HP in conjunction with Intel was recognizing enterprises that implemented innovative mission critical solutions based on the HP systems powered by the Intel processor E7 series

We are proud to celebrate their achievement. KWFT was recognized as top among 39 network members in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East for Demonstrating excellence in principled leadership, financial and social performance and upholding institutional commitment to gender diversity and women leadership.We salute the over 450,000 hardworking women entrepreneurs who we work with through our 210 offices countrywide.

KWFT will now be able to accept deposits and use its balance sheet to provide financing to its 400,000 clients countrywide. Kenya Women Finance Trust Limited (KWFT) is now a Deposit Taking Microfinance and will operate under the name Kenya Women Finance Trust-Deposit Taking Microfinance (KWFT).

This follows the issuance of a license to conduct nationwide deposit taking microfinance business by the Central Bank of Kenya. This means that in addition to giving loans to its clients, KWFT will now be able to mobilize and intermediate savings.