KCB Group Plc said it disbursed KSh48.8 billion in green financing loans in 2025 to support projects in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, green buildings, clean transportation, water management and climate-smart investments, according to disclosures in its 2025 Sustainability Report.
The lender also said it screened KSh587.9 billion worth of transactions under its Environmental and Social Due Diligence framework covering operations in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda. KCB said the screening and lending activity helped it surpass its internal strategic target of allocating 25% of total lending to green projects, with green lending reaching 25.84% in 2025, up from 21.6% in 2024.
KCB said KSh9.9 billion of the green financing was independently verified as climate-eligible using the Climate Assessment for Financial Institutions (CAFI) tool.
The disclosures are contained in the 2025 KCB Group Sustainability Report themed “Transitioning Economies”, which the bank published alongside its 2025 Integrated Report.
The update matters for Kenya’s banking sector as lenders face growing pressure from regulators, investors and development finance partners to demonstrate measurable progress on climate and sustainability commitments, including disclosure quality and portfolio alignment. KCB is one of the region’s largest banking groups, with operations across multiple East African markets, meaning its sustainable finance approach can influence capital flows into sectors such as energy, transport, agriculture and real estate.
Commenting on the results, KCB Group CEO Paul Russo said the bank was aligning financing decisions and business strategy toward climate resilience and sustainable enterprise 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,” Russo said. He added that this would be supported by partnerships with global climate financiers, product innovation and efforts to “accelerate the transition to a low-carbon and climate resilient economy throughout the region.”
Beyond lending, KCB said it exceeded its 2025 tree-planting target. The bank reported it planted more than 3.5 million trees in 2025, above a target of 1.5 million, through more than 200 tree-planting events in collaboration with 1,778 schools and other partners.
In clean energy initiatives tied to the education sector, KCB said it supported 266 schools to adopt cleaner cooking systems, backed by KSh782.5 million in financing, under its Learning Institutions Customer Value Proposition.
The bank also said it expanded solar power installations to 16 branches across the group, naming Maasai Mara, Wajir, Mandera, Watamu, Lamu, Loitoktok, Kakuma and Namanga, as well as the Karen Leadership Centre, as some of the sites with operational installations. KCB said it plans to expand solar power to 30 additional branches “this year.”
KCB reported that these efforts contributed to a 2% reduction in resource use for fuel and electricity and an overall 13% reduction in emissions across the group, attributing the performance to renewable energy adoption and operational efficiency initiatives.
On inclusion-linked programmes, KCB said that through KCB Foundation programmes, more than 265,300 jobs were supported, while 16,549 youth benefited from workforce readiness and skills development initiatives. The lender also reported that 38,635 youth-led businesses received business development support under the 2Jiajiri Young Africa Works programme and that it has supported a total of 67,090 businesses.
The bank said it disbursed KSh149 billion to women-led businesses through its Female-Led and Made Enterprise (FLME) programme, positioning this as part of a five-year commitment to unlock KSh250 billion for women entrepreneurs and enterprises.
KCB also said 20,299 refugees gained access to formal banking services and that it disbursed KSh71.4 million in loans to refugee entrepreneurs using UNHCR identification documentation.
On reporting and disclosure standards, KCB said the 2025 sustainability report was its third to undergo a limited assurance review and that it was prepared in reference to IFRS S1 and S2 Standards. The group said this represents voluntary early adoption ahead of a mandatory deadline set for the 2027 reporting period.
Going forward, the lender’s next milestones will include execution of its plan to roll out solar power to additional branches and maintaining green-lending levels above its 25% allocation target, as disclosure requirements and investor scrutiny increase across the region.