The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) on Wednesday announced strengthened collaboration with GIZ under the Women Entrepreneurship for Africa (WE4A) Programme to support women-led SMEs in Kiambu and Mombasa Counties.
KNCCI also extended its 2025 supplier prequalification deadline to October 30 due to recent disruptions.
The meeting, held on Wednesday morning, was led by KNCCI’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, K.K. Mutai, and attended by Olivia Okech and Eve Muriithi, the Technical Leads for the WE4A Programme.
The discussions centered on deepening collaboration between KNCCI and GIZ, with a particular focus on rolling out the Gender Transformative SME Loop, a model designed to strengthen and sustain women-led businesses in Kiambu and Mombasa Counties.
Mutai lauded GIZ’s ongoing support for women entrepreneurs in Kenya and emphasized KNCCI’s role as a national business enabler committed to driving gender inclusion and innovation within the SME sector.
“KNCCI remains fully committed to working closely with GIZ to empower women entrepreneurs, promote SME growth, and drive green and inclusive economic transformation,” Mutai said.
The meeting stressed the growing need for targeted interventions to support women-led enterprises, which continue to play a critical role in Kenya’s economic resilience and post-pandemic recovery.
The Gender Transformative SME Loop seeks to bridge financing, training, and mentorship gaps that often hinder women from scaling up their ventures.
Both organizations agreed to convene a follow-up session to plan expanded collaboration and identify additional opportunities to unlock growth potential for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Kenya.
The next phase of engagement will prioritize sustainable entrepreneurship, digital inclusion, and localized business development support.
“We look forward to working hand in hand with KNCCI to scale the impact of the WE4A Programme and ensure that women entrepreneurs have equitable access to resources, networks, and markets,” Okech said.
“Our joint goal is to make the Gender Transformative SME Loop a nationwide model for inclusive business development,” Muriithi added.
In addition to the partnership meeting, KNCCI’s Procurement Department issued a public notice announcing the extension of the 2025 Supplier Prequalification Exercise deadline to October 30, 2025, at 12:00 pm.
The Chamber explained that the extension was necessitated by recent events across the country that had disrupted the ability of some suppliers and service providers to submit their applications within the original timeframe.
“This extension allows all eligible firms to complete their submissions and ensures inclusivity and fairness in the procurement process,” the notice read.
The supplier prequalification exercise forms part of KNCCI’s strategy to strengthen transparency, efficiency, and competitiveness in its procurement processes while fostering long-term partnerships with qualified service providers.
