The StunnerBiz Mashinani 2025 Conference and Expo, held at Othaya Teachers’ College in Nyeri County, was a landmark event focused on transforming Kenya’s agribusiness landscape under the theme “Shaping Youth’s Mindset through Agribusiness.” ECLOF Kenya proudly participated in this dynamic platform, which brought together young agripreneurs, financial leaders, policymakers, and innovators to spark conversations that matter for rural development.

For ECLOF Kenya, this event was more than an exhibition, it was an opportunity to interact directly with farmers, listen to their challenges, and share practical solutions that promote resilience and sustainable growth. Our team engaged with youth and women agripreneurs, emphasizing the importance of financial literacy, access to credit, and value addition in agribusiness. Through these interactions, ECLOF Kenya reinforced its commitment to empowering rural communities by providing tailored financial services and capacity-building programs that help farmers transition from subsistence farming to profitable enterprises.

The conference also showcased innovative agritech solutions and cooperative models, creating a space for ECLOF Kenya to network with stakeholders and explore partnerships that can scale impact.

By participating in StunnerBiz Mashinani, ECLOF Kenya reaffirmed its mission to nurture agripreneurial resilience and unlock opportunities for rural prosperity. As the event highlighted, youth are not just the future, they are the driving force of rural innovation today, and ECLOF Kenya stands ready to support them every step of the way.

Read StunnerBiz Mashinani 2025 Report

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“Those who suffer must lead their pain.” This powerful statement set the tone for ECLOF Kenya’s participation in the Solidarity Hub 2025, hosted by Act Ubumbano. At a time when farmers, women, and microentrepreneurs face mounting challenges, from climate shocks to market exploitation, the Hub offered more than dialogue. It was a call to reimagine justice as something lived, not declared.

ECLOF Kenya has championed inclusive finance for smallholder farmers and microentrepreneurs. Yet, persistent injustices, gender exclusion, climate vulnerability, and systemic exploitation, demand more than financial inclusion. They require transformational inclusion, rooted in dignity and solidarity. The Hub gave ECLOF space to learn from global peers and explore how solidarity can turn finance into a tool of liberation rather than dependency.

Moving forward, ECLOF Kenya is embedding these principles into its operations through justice dialogues for staff, community solidarity circles, ethical finance products such as flexible repayment and crop insurance, and transparent donor relationships. The impact ECLOF envision includes resilient communities, inclusive finance, gender and youth empowerment, and a justice-driven institutional culture.

A Call to Partners: Solidarity is the foundation of justice. It encourages ECLOF Kenya to move beyond projects and metrics toward relationships that uphold dignity and shared struggle. ECLOF Kenya invites partners and funders to join in embedding solidarity into its DNA, shaping how ECLOF Kenya serves, leads, and collaborates for lasting change.

Download Solidarity hub 2025 report

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Supported by Alongside Hope, ECLOF in Kenya has been piloting dairy innovations with local cooperatives—such as hygienic sheds, zero-grazing, diverse fodder, and biogas systems. These climate-smart practices boost farmers productivity and well-being.

With Kawanjara Dairy Cooperative Society, the Canadian guests met a standout example: founded in 2016 and formalized in 2019, the Cooperative has become a key training and income generation hub for farmers in Embu County. During the field visit, delegates witnessed these innovations firsthand at Kawanjara’s demo farm.

The cooperative’s impact speaks volumes: membership grew from 30 to over 600 farmers (and targeting 3000), daily milk yields rose from 5 to 8 liters, and farmers gained new skills through peer exchanges and training focused on feed systems, breed selection, and disease control.

The smallholder dairy farmers shared ongoing challenges: high infrastructure cost, limited veterinary access, fodder shortages, weak digital systems, and price instability during oversupply. In response, ECLOF outlined its strategic actions: scaling up demo farms, expanding training opportunities, investing in technology and equipment, and replicating biogas systems.

The visit underscored both the progress made and the transformative potential of integrated dairy development, driven by innovation, strong local cooperatives, and commitment from dairy farmers. It also reflected the strength of enduring partnerships between Alongside Hope, ECLOF, and the local community in shaping a more sustainable future.

About Alongside Hope: formerly called The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund, it is the Anglican Church of Canada’s agency for sustainable development and relief.

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Other Offices launched in 2018 include: Olkalau Office, and Machakos Branch

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ECLOF Kenya is currently transforming to a socially motivated deposit-taking microfinance institution and scaling its work to be both broader and deeper, i.e. reaching clients at the lowest income segments and in more remote areas. ECLOF carried out “training of trainers” initiative and designed training programs and teaching material. 3,944 microfinance solidarity group leaders are now trainers on financial literacy. Group leaders trained an average of 8 members per group resulting in enhanced customer retention, improved product uptake, repeat borrowing, and improved portfolio quality and staff productivity. The direct and indirect number of beneficiaries was estimated at 33,000.

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It was registered as a microfinance company in 1994. It is affiliated to the ECLOF International, a global institution with headquarters in Geneva and a member of the Association of Microfinance Institutions of Kenya (AMFIK), an umbrella body of MFIs in Kenya. It has presence in over 66 per cent of the 47 counties with 44 outlets, serving about 60,000 clients. The CEO of ECLOF Kenya Mary Munyiri during an interview with StartUp Magazine tells their story.

“We realized that many people had been financially excluded. So we came in to bridge the gap left by funding Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) both in urban and rural areas. Our ultimate vision is to create a world of human dignity and prosperity made possible by our financial and related non-financial services,” says the CEO.

She adds, “We finance players across sectors ranging from agriculture,trade, commerce and service among others.”

Competitive edge

ECLOF Kenya’s tagline is “The Microfinance with a Difference”, because we offer a personal touch to our clients. Our main competitive advantage is service delivery. Nothing is more important to us than a delighted customer. “We work very hard to ensure that we have a smiling customer at the end of the day,” affirms the CEO.

Acquiring and sustaining a loyal clientele base is a major concern for the microfinance. The team works tirelessly around the clock to meet the needs of customers and to capitalize on the competitive edge by providing tailor made financial solutions aligned to customers need. “Our products and services are tailored to meet the market needs. This is in addition to our service delivery approaches which are sensitive and unique to each client’s need,” she adds.

The development of a wide range of products among them agribusiness loans has enabled the firm to meet the needs of its clients including small scale farmers. Through product diversification, clients are able to make informed product choice decisions. “We impact lives and livelihoods by enabling these micro and small entrepreneurs to grow their businesses as well as their state of wellbeing,” emphasizes Mrs. Munyiri.

Services Offered

The financial products are classified into four broad categories: namely business loans, agriculture loans, social or support loans and personal loans.

Business loan is a working capital and business expansion facility for traders in retail, wholesale, manufacturing and service sectors. Agriculture loans on the other hand are for clients engaged in both livestock and crop farming. ECLOF Kenya finances various value chains including Dairy, horticulture, Fruits, Banana, Poultry, Oil Seed and Floriculture. All activities within the above value chains qualify for financing.

According to Mrs. Munyiri, social impact on the customer distinguishes ECLOF Kenya. Social loans have proved to be critical to the ultimate success of the firm’s clients. The loans ease the concerns of clients and allow them to focus on their core income generating activities.

Some of these social loans include; Education, Green energy, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and micro health insurance (medical cover) loans. ECLOF Kenya clients have access to education loans that cater for school fees, stationery and school uniform. Financing is also availed for medical cover financing, a service offered by like-minded partners in the insurance industry. The clients also enjoy WASH loans that cater for; constructing decent pit latrines especially in the rural areas, sinking shallow wells to avail water for consumption, irrigation and livestock, acquisition of fully fitted water tanks for rain water harvesting and purchase of water purifiers to ensure that clients consume clean and safe drinking water. A loan facility is also availed for clients to upgrade from grass thatch to iron sheet roofs and gutters to harvest rain water.

The green energy financing also falls under the Social Loans category. The loans enable clients to buy solar lanterns and panels and energy saving cook-stoves as well as installation of biogas. In the long run, this helps them reduce the cost of energy and remain healthy

Competent staff

ECLOF Kenya is a competitive employer with very competent staff. The staff are hired and taken through an intensive induction process to prepare them effectively for the task at hand.

“Our staff meets clients on a regular basis across the country. We track clients’ development, ascertain their issues and address their complaints. We believe that a client should manage their finances well and our staff take a leading role to train our clients on financial literacy (including financial management, debt management, budgeting and saving). Now, this is what we call “high touch” ”

Challenges

Despite the firm’s successful operations this far, Mrs. Munyiri observes that the industry has been riddled with a number of challenges. There is increased competition among microfinance players, new entrants as well as commercial banks downscaling to micro lending. She however shares her optimism: “We overcome this by continually improving our service delivery and listening to our clients more in order to gain their loyalty.”

The microfinance sector is very sensitive to social, economic and political upheavals and as such, the company has to keep tab with the developments in these fronts and advise clients accordingly. ECLOF Kenya works closely with communities to continuously educate clients as a coping mechanism and also build on their capacity to repay loans to avoid delinquency and defaults.

 Going forward

ECLOF Kenya will continue in its quest to pursue cost-effective models in a bid to scale up, serve more clients and offer financial services relevant to the market. This calls for a continuous self-evaluation and improvement to enable the company to continue availing quality services.

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Registered as a microfinance company in 1994, it is affiliated to the ECLOF International, a global institution with its headquarters in Geneva. ECLOF Kenya is equally a member of the Association of Microfinance Institutions of Kenya (AMFI-Kenya), an umbrella body of Micro- finance Institutions (MFIs) in Kenya. ECLOF Kenyahas 44 outlets serving about 60,000 clients, with vibrant presence in over 66 per cent of the 47 counties.

ECLOF Kenya avails both financial and non-financial productsclassified under different categories to its clients. One interesting product and services offered is, WASH Loan (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene). WASH Loan, classified under the category of Social Products, caters for construction of pit latrines especially in the rural areas, sinking shallow wells to avail water for consumption, irrigation and livestock, acquisition of fully fitted water tanks for rain water harvesting and purchase of water purifiers to ensure that clients consume clean and safe drinking water. StartUp Magazine met with some of the clients who have benefitted from WASH loans and this is what they had to say:

Edward Ngugi Wanyoike

The Chairman of Kagirambii Chama Group that receives financial support from ECLOF Kenya, Mr. Wanyoike who lives in Ndireini Village in Murang’a County was quick to point out on how ECLOF Kenya has been one of the best things that ever happened to his life.

He has enjoyed a number of loan facilities from ECLOF Kenya which helped him in setting up a shop, hotel, grocery store, a barber shop and buying dairy cow and household items.

Asked how he manages to run all these enterprises, he says “Joining ECLOF Kenya in 2016 ignited my ambitions.” He adds that the institution is very timely in disbursement of loans, a selling point that bought his loyalty to the firm. “I have never looked anywhere else since knowing ECLOF,” he adds. “I used part of the loan to buy water tank and gutters to harvest and store water. Before buying the tank, I would go to fetch water from the river which was very tiresome. My dairy cows were less productive because of lack of enough drinking water. But now with water around, everything has changed for the better,” he explains.

Phelistas Njeri Kiare

A short distance from Mr. Wanyoike’s home, in the same Ndireini Village, we meet another client-Phelistas Njeri Kiarie. Mrs. Kiarie joined the group in 2016 and has enjoyed loan facilities which have transformed her well-being. She took a loan to dig and set up a borehole which has been an answer to all her water problems. Today, she uses the water to irrigate her small farm which she hopes to expand. In addition to that, she took up another loan to install electricity power in her home. With electrical power, she is now sourcing for electric water pump to propel water from the borehole and facilitate irrigation with ease. She is grateful that she will no longer worry about manually fetching water from the borehole which was hectic and the opportunity to expand her scope of farming.

Catherine Muthoni Kimani

Catherine joined ECLOF Kenya early 2017, and just like others, she is in a fruitful relationship with the financier.

She specifically took a loan to buy water tank and gutters. With the gutters, she collects and harvests rain water with which she stores for domestic use. The water supply sees her through dry seasons and saves her the agony of water shortage. “Buying water is very expensive,“she explains.

Besides the water tanks, she also used part of the loan to set up standard hygienic toilets. She looks forward to build a self-contained house, with a toilet inside and free flowing tap water.

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