NAIROBI, Kenya, June 11 – KCB Group disbursed Sh48.8 billion in green loans in 2025, helping the lender surpass its sustainable finance target as it expanded funding for climate-smart projects across East Africa.
According to the bank’s 2025 Sustainability Report, the financing supported investments in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, green buildings, clean transportation, water management and other environmentally sustainable projects.
Of the total amount, Sh9.9 billion was independently verified as climate-eligible using the Climate Assessment for Financial Institutions (CAFI) tool.
The lender also screened Sh587.9 billion worth of transactions under its Environmental and Social Due Diligence framework across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.
As a result, KCB increased the share of its lending portfolio allocated to green projects to 25.84 percent in 2025, surpassing its strategic target of 25 percent and up from 21.6 percent recorded in 2024.
KCB Group Chief Executive Officer Paul Russo said the lender is increasingly aligning its financing decisions with climate resilience and sustainable economic growth.
“KCB seeks to be a bigger player in shaping a robust and sustainable financial ecosystem throughout East Africa by continuously developing tailored green financing solutions for MSMEs, households and corporates in order to support the adoption of sustainable practices across key sectors,” he said.
The bank said it plans to strengthen partnerships with global climate financiers, expand green financing products and mobilize additional capital to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Beyond lending, KCB intensified its environmental conservation efforts, planting more than 3.5 million trees in 2025, exceeding its target of 1.5 million trees. The initiative involved more than 200 tree-planting activities conducted in partnership with 1,778 schools and other stakeholders.
The lender also financed cleaner cooking solutions in schools, extending Sh782.5 million to support 266 learning institutions in adopting energy-efficient cooking technologies and reducing reliance on traditional biomass fuels.
KCB further expanded its solar energy programme, with solar installations now operational in 16 branches across the region, including Maasai Mara, Wajir, Mandera, Watamu, Lamu, Loitoktok, Kakuma and Namanga.
The bank plans to roll out solar power to 30 additional branches this year as part of its renewable energy strategy.
These initiatives contributed to a 2 percent reduction in fuel and electricity consumption and an overall 13 percent decline in carbon emissions across the Group.
On the social front, KCB said its foundation programmes supported more than 265,300 jobs, while 16,549 youth benefited from workforce readiness and skills development initiatives.
In addition, 38,635 youth-led businesses received support under the 2Jiajiri Young Africa Works programme, contributing to a total of 67,090 enterprises supported by the Group.
The lender also advanced its women-focused financing agenda, disbursing Sh149 billion to women-led businesses through its Female-Led and Made Enterprise programme, part of a broader commitment to unlock Sh250 billion in financing for women entrepreneurs over five years.
KCB further expanded financial inclusion among displaced communities, providing banking services to 20,299 refugees and disbursing Sh71.4 million in loans to refugee-owned businesses.
The sustainability report is KCB’s third to undergo an independent limited assurance review and has been prepared in line with the IFRS S1 and S2 sustainability reporting standards ahead of their mandatory adoption in 2027.
