Kenya Development Corporation (KDC) has announced a raft of customer-focused reforms and new financing initiatives to ease access to credit, supporting business expansion and accelerating industrial growth in the country.

Speaking on Monday during a KDC customer networking forum in Nairobi, State Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Principal Secretary (PS) Susan Mang’eni commended KDC for organising the stakeholder engagement forum, saying such platforms are critical in connecting entrepreneurs with available opportunities.

“We need more of such engagements because the government is a window of opportunities. The challenge has always been how well we connect industrious Kenyans with these opportunities,” Mang’eni said.

Ms Mang’eni noted that many opportunities created through government engagements and international partnerships often fail to reach entrepreneurs due to inadequate information sharing. She encouraged government agencies to institutionalise regular interactions with businesses to facilitate knowledge exchange, partnerships and investment.

Mang’eni also recognised the contribution of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to the economy, noting that the forum came shortly after the country marked International MSME Day.

“You in this room are MSMEs that continue to play a significant role in our economy, and we celebrate your contribution,” she said.

The forum brought together KDC customers, representatives from government agencies, financial institutions, development partners and private sector players to discuss investment opportunities, financing solutions and strategies for enhancing enterprise growth.

KDC Director General Norah Ratemo said the corporation had introduced several measures to address challenges faced by investors and improve customer experience. Ms Ratemo said the forum was organised to strengthen relationships with clients, create networking opportunities and enable businesses to explore new markets and partnerships.

“Today was about getting to know our customers better, putting faces to the businesses we support and creating opportunities for businesses to network and grow together,” she said.

She noted that KDC’s mandate goes beyond financing businesses, adding that the institution seeks to promote exports, create jobs and support enterprises to scale up their operations. The director general announced that KDC had reviewed its collateral valuation policy and would henceforth assess collateral based on market value.

“From now on, our policies have changed. We will now be discounting collaterals based on market value. I know this has been a challenge to many of our customers and this forum will significantly reduce that pain point,” Ratemo said.

She further revealed that KDC was establishing a dedicated customer experience desk to simplify the loan acquisition process and improve service delivery.

“We are creating a dedicated customer service desk because we want to understand the customer journey and make the process simpler and more efficient,” she added.

Ratemo said the corporation had also strengthened its business advisory services to assist entrepreneurs in developing bankable business proposals.

“A lot of investors have good ideas but are unable to articulate them on paper. Our business development team will support clients in preparing business plans that make sense both to the institution and to analysts,” she said.

The director-general G urged entrepreneurs to diversify their sources of capital, noting that KDC financing alone could not meet the growing funding needs of businesses.

“Our role is to de-risk businesses and prepare them to attract private capital. We encourage businesses to explore other financing opportunities such as corporate bonds and stock market listings,” she said.

Ratemo disclosed that KDC was finalising several new financing products, including a Green Fund that will provide equity financing to environmentally sustainable businesses and enterprises seeking to adopt green technologies.

The fund, she said, will support firms investing in renewable energy, electric mobility, energy-efficient machinery and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. She also announced plans to establish a National Automotive Sector Development Fund to support local vehicle assembly, component manufacturing and electric mobility initiatives.

Additionally, KDC is developing a Ksh200 million financing programme targeting medium-sized enterprises through commercial banks and will implement a Ksh12 billion industrial levy fund aimed at supporting manufacturing enterprises.

National Treasury representative at the KDC Board Michael Kaigika reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting KDC in driving Kenya’s economic transformation. Kaigika said the country was entering a new phase of economic development focused on productive investments, industrial expansion and private sector growth.

“Economic transformation cannot be achieved through fiscal policy alone, neither can it be delivered by commercial banks acting independently. It requires institutions prepared to finance opportunities whose development value exceeds immediate commercial returns, and this is precisely the space occupied by KDC,” he said.

He noted that recent reforms, including the Government-Owned Enterprises Act, 2025, would strengthen governance, transparency and operational efficiency at KDC.

Kaigika urged the corporation to continue prioritising development impact, strengthening partnerships with development financiers, embracing technology and expanding green financing initiatives.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / Achieng Nicole and Molvin Laventa