Standard Chartered targets key sectors in new financing push
Business
By
Graham Kajilwa
| Mar 30, 2026
Incoming Standard Chartered Kenya Chief Executive Birju Sanghrajka at the KIICO Conference. [Graham Kajilwa, Standard]
Standard Chartered has announced plans to expand sustainable financing in Kenya, with a fresh focus on manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture and digital infrastructure through deeper partnerships with development finance institutions (DFIs) and public sector players.
The bank said the move is aimed at unlocking affordable long-term capital for Kenyan businesses at a time when the country is seeking to convert fresh investor commitments into productive economic growth.
This follows Kenya’s successful mobilisation of more than $2.9 billion (Sh374 billion) in investment pledges during the Kenya International Investment Conference 2026, where manufacturing, agribusiness and healthcare emerged among the most attractive sectors for investors.
Incoming Standard Chartered Kenya Chief Executive Birju Sanghrajka said the lender will build on recent financing transactions, including a $100 million facility with British International Investment, a $70 million programme with International Finance Corporation, and Safaricom’s $130 million green bond, to structure more blended finance deals for Kenya and the wider East African region.
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“Our ambition is to scale sustainable financing innovations with DFIs and governments so that more capital reaches sectors that directly improve livelihoods,” said Sanghrajka during the conference in Nairobi.
“We are not only focused on increasing deal volumes, but also on changing how capital flows into Africa by blending concessional and commercial financing to de-risk major projects and attract private investors.”
The bank said increased DFI-backed financing is expected to ease access to affordable capital for Kenyan manufacturers, healthcare providers and agribusiness firms, allowing businesses to expand production, modernise facilities and create jobs.
According to investment conference projections, the planned investments could generate more than 63,000 jobs across priority sectors in Kenya.
The lender noted that Kenya’s manufacturing sector still holds significant untapped export potential.
Data from the Kenya Association of Manufacturers shows the country has an unmet export opportunity estimated at $5.3 billion (Sh680 billion) in manufactured goods if competitiveness and value addition improve.
In agriculture, expanded financing is expected to support modern farming systems, improve food security and raise incomes for smallholder farmers by between 15 and 20 per cent, while healthcare investments are projected to strengthen productivity through better access to medical infrastructure.
Standard Chartered also said Nairobi is increasingly becoming a strategic regional capital hub for mobilising and deploying international investment.
“By anchoring these financing innovations in Kenya, we can scale them across East Africa and attract more international investors into sectors that will define the region’s future growth,” said Sanghrajka.
The bank said it will continue broadening partnerships with DFIs, government institutions and fintech players as part of its long-term regional investment strategy.