Barclays Bank of Kenya says it has set aside Sh5 billion to support youth in business, following a previous announcement last year that it had established a Sh30 billion fund for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
While marking 100 years of Barclays Bank’s existence in Kenya,
chief executive Jeremy Awori said the institution has taken a new direction which it hopes will help it grow in the next 100 years.
“Our focus in the next century will be on areas of youth, women, small-scale enterprises and innovation,” he said during the celebrations at the bank’s headquarters.
He said the bank, in collaboration with the International Trade Centre, will also train over 10,000 women-led small and medium sized enterprises on procurement and financial planning.
“For 100 years of existence, Barclays has played a significant role in the development of Kenya’s financial and economic sector,” said Awori.
“Indeed, our legacy is greatly intertwined with Kenya’s rich heritage and, by the same token, our future is interwoven with Kenya’s,” he added.
The bank’s chairman Francis Okello said Barclays was the first bank in Kenya to achieve 50-50 representation of gender at the board level.
“Barclays has been a major player in Kenya’s financial landscape in personal banking, enterprise, corporate and bancassurance,” he said.