- Banks are adding cash flow tools and bookkeeping support to MSME platforms
- Digital services are making payments, account management and loan applications easier
- New credit scoring approaches could widen access for underserved small businesses
Kenyan banks are handing small businesses cash flow forecasting tools, bookkeeping help and online loan applications, the central bank reports.
Behind the offer sits a simple problem. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) drive jobs and output, yet many struggle to borrow and to keep tabs on their money. The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) says banks spent 2025 building products aimed squarely at those gaps.
CBK’s review of 2025 MSME products points to a shift in approach. Lenders are moving beyond loans and adding digital services that help a business run day to day.
Some platforms connect directly to a firm’s accounting, payroll and inventory software. As a result, sales and payments data flows in automatically, accounts reconcile without manual effort and owners can track cash in real time. Dashboards then show how sales are performing, how long money is tied up in stock or unpaid invoices, and how much credit the business is using.
Other banks are teaching as well as lending. Digital financial literacy modules, cash flow forecasting tools, bookkeeping support and advice matched to a business’s stage are now built into their platforms.
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Access is a big selling point. Banks are using mobile and web platforms so owners can open accounts digitally, send instant payments, apply for loans online and watch their balances live. CBK notes that this lets entrepreneurs manage money at any hour, even from remote or informal markets.
Support is also always on. Some platforms offer round the clock help through chatbots powered by artificial intelligence, alongside remote relationship managers. Others handle several currencies and cross border payments, which suits firms that trade beyond Kenya.
Cost is where the report sounds most hopeful. CBK says MSMEs are enjoying lower transaction fees and simpler onboarding. Banks are also using alternative data to assess credit more cheaply, which could help young and underserved firms that lack a long borrowing record.
Regulators are pushing in the same direction. CBK lists support for MSMEs through the use of alternative data in credit scoring among its priorities for widening sources of credit information.
Meanwhile, a new pricing framework has changed how all borrowers are charged. It took effect on September 1, 2025, and the transition for existing loans ended on February 28, 2026. Lending rates now build on a benchmark rate plus a bank specific premium and fees.
Rates reflect each customer’s credit risk, so safer borrowers can pay less. Banks must also publish their rates and charges online, which lets borrowers compare offers.
By Benedict Aoya
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