04/06/2026
Happening now in Nairobi!
The Kenya Bankers Association (KBA), together with Aceli Africa and GIZ Kenya, is hosting the Pre-FINAS Policy Dialogue ahead of the FINAS Summit 2026.
The dialogue has convened leaders from finance, government, development partners, and the agricultural ecosystem to discuss policy mapping, loan classification, and sector coordination for Agri-SME financing.
Speakers have emphasized the urgent need to strengthen financing for Agri-SMEs. Dr. Samuel Tiriongo (PhD) of KBA called for clear loan classification and a report from the Summit that stakeholders can own.
Freddy Bob-Jones of Aceli Africa noted that the financing gap is about businesses, not poor farmers, highlighting shifts in bank lending toward food systems while gaps persist due to risk and return factors.
He stressed that credit guarantees alone are insufficient, with agri-loan interest rates still comparable to corporate loans, and urged banks to see agriculture as a profitable sector rather than one defined by risk.