KWALE County—Jan 28, 2026—Women entrepreneurs in Kwale County are increasingly accessing capital, training and business support through Equity Bank’s Fanikisha programme, as the lender steps up efforts to strengthen women-led enterprises and local economic growth.
Through the enhanced Fanikisha solution, Equity is providing more than financing, offering women entrepreneurs mentorship, financial literacy training, business development support and health insurance, aimed at supporting enterprises at different stages of growth.
Since its launch in 2007, the programme has trained more than 2.5 million women and disbursed over KSh565 billion to women-led businesses across Kenya, positioning it as one of the country’s largest gender-focused financing initiatives.
Speaking during a Fanikisha Regional Customer Event in Kwale, Governor Fatuma Achani praised the programme for its role in strengthening household incomes and employment creation in the county.
“We truly appreciate Equity’s role in advancing women’s economic empowerment through this initiative. The support goes beyond financing by equipping women with business and investment mentorship, which is critical for sustaining families and creating jobs in Kwale,” Achani said.
Equity Bank Kenya Managing Director, Moses Nyabanda said the programme is designed to support women entrepreneurs through a structured, tiered growth pathway, depending on the scale and maturity of their businesses.
“Fanikisha is not just about lending. It provides women entrepreneurs with the right tools, knowledge and networks to grow sustainable businesses,” Nyabanda said.
The event also marked the graduation of more than 70 women entrepreneurs who completed training under the Equity Group Foundation’s Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship programme, covering skills such as budgeting, debt management and digital literacy.
Fanikisha forms part of Equity Group’s Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan, which seeks to strengthen small and medium enterprises, particularly women-led businesses, as they navigate a more competitive and uncertain economic environment.
