Challenges in Financial Inclusion
Kenya | Empowering Women and
Youth in Ahero’s Rice Value Chain
In the rice-growing lowlands of Ahero, Kisumu County, the Big5 Kenya team was pioneering
a new approach to empower youth and women through improved access to finance and
stronger governance within the rice irrigation ecosystem.
As one of Kenya’s major rice-
producing zones, Ahero held
enormous potential to contribute
to the national food basket.
However, despite this promise,
systemic challenges had long
undermined productivity and
financial inclusion across the
value chain.
Women and youth accounted for over 60% of the rice farming labor force in Ahero, yet their
participation in formal financial systems remained minimal. In 2022, only 5% of rice farmers
qualified for input credit through NCBA Bank’s Loop programme, primarily due to poor
financial literacy, weak credit histories, and limited training on good agricultural practices
(GAPs).
Without access to affordable credit, most farmers could not afford quality inputs such as
fertilizers and improved seeds, resulting in yields of 15-18 bags per acre-less than half the
potential output of 35-40 bags. These limitations had a direct impact on household
incomes, food security, and the economic empowerment of rural youth and women.