KCB Foundation has been leveraging education for the past 19 years as a powerful driver of economic empowerment and inclusive growth.
Since its establishment in 2007, the Foundation has steadily expanded its footprint across Kenya and the wider East African region, supporting education, enterprise development, health, environmental conservation, and humanitarian interventions, with a deliberate focus on underserved and marginalized communities.
At the core of the Foundation’s work is a long-held belief that access to quality education is fundamental to breaking cycles of poverty, unemployment, and social exclusion. Education remains the cornerstone of KCB Foundation’s social investment agenda, underpinning a broader strategy to build human capital, expand opportunity, and nurture future leaders capable of contributing meaningfully to national development.
This commitment is most visibly embodied in the flagship KCB Scholars Programme, which supports 1,000 bright but vulnerable students annually to transition from primary to secondary school, with structured pathways into university and tertiary education. The programme is intentionally designed to promote equity, reserving more than 500 slots for girls, including survivors of female genital mutilation (FGM), early marriage, and teenage motherhood, alongside 100 slots for learners living with disabilities.
KCB Foundation Director Mendi Njonjo, said, “An educated society is an empowered community. At KCB Foundation, we are deliberate about creating lasting impact among the marginalised and vulnerable, and in doing so, actively contributing to national development.”
The effectiveness of this comprehensive support model continues to be reflected in strong academic outcomes. Following the release of the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results, the performance of the KCB Scholars who sat the examinations underscored the programme’s impact. An impressive 80 percent attained university-qualifying grades, with 42 students achieving an A and 116 earning an A-. Strong performance was also recorded across the B and C range, reflecting consistent academic excellence across the cohort.
Beyond university admissions, the Foundation has ensured that learners pursuing technical and vocational education pathways are equally supported. Approximately eight percent of scholars transitioned into TVET routes. This inclusive approach ensures that every student is supported to pursue an education pathway aligned to their abilities and aspirations, reinforcing the Foundation’s commitment to leaving no learner behind.
In response to Kenya’s transition to the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), the KCB Scholars Programme has evolved to place greater emphasis on creativity, critical thinking, and holistic development. In 2024, the Foundation expanded the programme to include talented learners in sports, beginning with 50 student-athletes. This move aligns with CBC principles that prioritise nurturing individual strengths beyond academics.
This year, the Foundation deepened its focus on holistic development by admitting 75 new student-athletes, bringing the total number supported from 2024 to 125. The expansion spans multiple disciplines, including volleyball, jumps, throws and track and field; reflecting a deliberate effort to recognise and develop diverse talents.
For beneficiaries, the impact of the scholarship extends well beyond financial support.
“For some of us who come from extreme poverty, this scholarship program has been life-changing,” said Abigael Nyokabi, one of the scholars. “It has given thousands of academically gifted but vulnerable students a chance to pursue their dreams.”
As Kenya prepares its young people for an increasingly complex and competitive global landscape, the KCB Foundation’s integrated scholarship model continues to stand out as a benchmark for inclusive, future-focused education support. By investing not only in access, but also in agency, talent, and long-term pathways, the Foundation is helping shape a generation equipped to drive sustainable development and social progress.