In November 2020, FSD Kenya was invited to co-chair a session at the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Frontiers of Development Symposium. The 2020 symposium, bringing together experts and mid-career professionals from sciences and social sciences, debated the question: ‘How can we build resilience in world of shared resources?’. The symposium focused on 3 areas: economic resources, human resources and natural resources. FSD Kenya was asked to co-chair a session on economic resources together with Eka Ikpe of Kings College London. 

On the morning of November 3rd, 2020, I was honoured to be part of the launch of the Year of Climate Action in Kenya (#YoCaKenya).

In this series of mini-interviews, researchers and respondents in the Kenya Financial Diaries reflect on their experiences. 

The year 2020 will undoubtedly go down in history as the point in time when COVID-19 paralysed the world.

After several years of “hustling,” my friend Njoroge saved money enough to construct his own little fruit shack in the Hurlingham suburb of Nairobi.

The annual lecture is FSD Kenya’s flagship event. Held every year since 2015, the annual lecture highlights new thinking and raise cutting edge issues in the field of financial inclusion.

A little over a month ago, we confirmed an exciting hypothesis  that it is actually possible to predict the propensity of success for Kenyan “hustlers” based on data mining and qualitative research

The COVID-19 pandemic is testing the resilience of governments, health systems, large companies, small businesses and families worldwide.

Shujaaz Inc. is a Kenyan communications research and production company. Formerly called Well Told Story, the company is the producer of “Shujaaz,” an award-winning media platform that provides open spaces – including online platforms – for youth to discuss personal and societal issues often considered sensitive or taboo within their communities.

We were huddled in a routine team discussion at FSD Kenya when we received news of the first confirmed Covid-19 case in Kenya.  Like many others, we wondered what this might mean for our work, our families and our country in the days ahead.

FSD Kenya’s CEO, Tamara Cook, sat down for a video interview with the Kenyan WallStreet.

Today, I am honoured to represent FSD Kenya at the UK Africa Investment Summit in London. I am inspired by the potential of the entrepreneurs, investors, government officials and civil society organisations who are full of ideas, solutions, and drive to leverage connections and learning across the continent to grow Africa’s economy and wellbeing.

Starting with microcredit in the late 1980s, there has been a growing movement of multilateral institutions, private foundations, non-profits, corporations and governments that aims to provide formal financial services to low-income market segments around the world.

Kenya has been feted around the world for its achievements in advancing financial inclusion. And the speed at which access to the formal financial system has advanced has certainly been exceptional. The development of a near ubiquitous mobile phone-based payments system provided the foundations for a further round of fintech innovation.

Since the launch of M-Shwari in 2012, the number of digital lenders and loans disbursed has grown substantially. Advances in credit scoring, few regulatory barriers and the widespread use of mobile phones and mobile money have enabled growth of the digital lending industry, giving borrowers a quick and convenient option for credit.

This year’s lecture titled “Financing Kenya: 2020 hindsight for Vision 2030” was delivered by Dr. David Ferrand. David is a long-time observer of the Kenyan financial sector. He played a key role in FSD Kenya’s inception nearly 20 years ago and served as its director until June 2019.

On 19th November 2019, the 5th FSD Kenya Annual Lecture took place at the University of Nairobi’s Chandaria Auditorium. Dr David Ferrand, a long-time observer of the Kenyan financial sector and former FSD Kenya director was the speaker at this year’s event.

On the evening of Tuesday November 19th 2019, FSD Kenya held its fifth annual lecture on financial inclusion at the University of Nairobi’s Chandaria Auditorium.

This year’s lecture titled “Financing Kenya: 2020 hindsight for Vision 2030” was delivered by Dr. David Ferrand. David is a long-time observer of the Kenyan financial sector.