25 SME business owners have graduated with a certificate from the Enterprise Development Programme sponsored by NCBA and Strathmore Business School.

The 16-week course  aims to address the needs and challenges that SMEs face .

Tirus Mwithiga, the Group Director, Retail Banking at NCBA said, “NCBA remains committed to Kenya’s economic growth. That is what informed our decision to partner with the Strathmore Business School to support our SME customers to grow their business ventures. As a bank we extend financial support to our customer to facilitate payment.”

The first cohort targeted business owners with an annual turnover of Ksh.3 million, 3 or more employees and have been in business for over 3 years.

During the 16-week Programme, the graduates were taken through tailor made courses focusing on solving the needs and challenges that SMEs face.

As part of the training, participants were exposed to case studies to give them tools and skills to recognize and take advantage of business opportunities, develop socially responsible and viable businesses and foster successful business entrepreneurship in the region.

NCBA and Strathmore University Business School stated that they will further enhance their partnership through the Owner Manager Programme (OMP), a Programme for mid-sized companies in East Africa.

To be eligible for the OMP Programme, one must be a Founder, CEO, Shareholder or Managing Director of a business that has run for a period of over 5 years, with an annual turnover of Ksh.50 million and have over 20 employees.

The programme has been thoughtfully arranged to accommodate the busy schedules of the participants. It has been divided into 4 modules. Each module will run for a period of 5 days per quarter in March, May, June, and October.

According to Dr. Majid Twahir, the Associate Dean, Research and Innovation at Strathmore University
Business School stated that the university is committed to empowering SMEs in Kenya and beyond. “As an entrepreneurial university, Strathmore University, is deeply committed to nurturing growth of SMEs. Our focus on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) aligns with their pivotal role in sustaining households, fostering innovation, and being prolific sources of employment.”