Kepsa:SMEs Award Winners Unveiled for Driving Innovation

•  SMEs Award Winners Unveiled for Driving Innovation,Inclusion and Green Growth

18 entrepreneurs and 11 outstanding SME Ecosystem enablers have been recognized through the KEPSA Annual SME Awards for demonstrating exceptional innovation, business excellence,resilience, and impact in their respective sectors.

Held as part of the Annual SME Conference under the theme “Beyond Survival:Building Smart and Resilient Businesses,” the two-day summit gathered over 1,500 delegates to address structural barriers in trade and equip local MSMEs with smart capital,digital skills,and cross-border expansion support.

The award is designed to drive enterprise growth while elevating national competitiveness, the awards honour achievements across two core pillars:

• The Innovation Challenge: Celebrates SMEs that have commercialized smart solutions to navigate market demands, drive operational efficiency, and boost Kenya’s performance on the Global Innovation Index.
• The Enabler Challenge:Honors outstanding organizations and institutions actively creating an enabling business environment through impactful initiatives,flexible capital, and dedicated support for private sector growth.

The full list of winners across the 2026 award categories includes:

Biashara Green Innovation Awards

• Winner – Narropil Honey Enterprises Ltd
• 1^st runners up – Seta Farm
• 2^nd runners up – Fibertext Green Paper Ltd

Binti Chipukizi Business Innovation Award

• Winner – Ecorich Solutions
• 1^st runners up – SautiYetu – Sightra
• 2^nd runners up – UMIHAZ Enterprises

Chipukizi Business Innovation Award

• Winner – Mara Youth Agenda
• 1^st runners up – Blesteire Beauty Kenya
• 2^nd runners up – Obote Mixed Farm

Imara Business Innovation Award

• Winner – Seven Twenty Holdings Ltd
• 1^st runners up – Mathenge Maisha
• 2^nd runners up – Eisen Industries Ltd

Malkia Business Innovation Awards

• Winner – The School Box Limited
• 1^st runners up – Zerobionic
• 2^nd runners up – Alpharise Network Ventures

Biz Mashinani Innovation Awards

• Winner – Kayce Crafts
• 1^st runners up – Aupwal rabbits
• 2^nd runners up – IkoBiz

SME Ecosystem Enabler of the Year

Winner: Sisters Blended Value Project, Strathmore Business School

1^st Runners Up: Capital Connect

2^nd Runners Up: Effulge Consulting Group (EGC)

SME Inclusivity and Sustainability Champion of the Year

Winner:Hashash Weavers Center for Women and Girlchild Empowerment

1^st Runners Up: Sustainable Kenya

2^nd Runners Up: B Lab Africa

SME Market Access & Trade Facilitation Champion of the Year

Winner: Ethical Trade Services

1^st Runners Up: Tunza Trade

 SME Innovation & Incubation Champion of the Year –Mt Kenya University Rep

Winner: Eldo Hub

1^st Runners Up: Afrifortified

2^nd Runners Up: Nakuru Box

Beyond cash prizes,winners of the KEPSA SME Innovation Excellence Awards will receive technical assistance, market access opportunities,and strategic financial linkages designed to help scale their solutions and thrive in dynamic economic conditions.

This ecosystem support comes at a critical moment for the nation.Kenya’s performance in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025 provides both a reality check and an opportunity for reflection.

Ranked 102^nd out of 139 economies,Kenya is outside the world’s top innovators but remains competitive within its income category and regional context.

The country ranks 17^th among 37 lower-middle-income economies and 9^th out of 32 Sub-Saharan African countries. While these rankings place Kenya respectably in Africa, the trend over time is concerning:Kenya ranked 86^th in 2020, 85^th in 2021, 88^th in 2022, 100^th in 2023, 96^th in 2024, and 102^nd in 2025.

This gradual decline reflects the need to strengthen innovation ecosystems,particularly through investment in research, education,and digital infrastructure.

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