Avenews, KMC and KLMC launch US$16M financing model to transform Kenya’s livestock sector

KENYA – Kenya’s livestock sector is set for a major transformation following the launch of a KSh 2.5 billion (US$16.4 million) trade-financing initiative spearheaded by financial technology firm Avenews in collaboration with the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) and the Kenya Livestock Marketing Council (KLMC). 

The partnership, signed on November 11, 2025, in Nairobi, aims to modernise the livestock supply chain by improving payment efficiency, enhancing market access, and empowering pastoralist and trading communities across the country.

Under the new agreement, KMC will work with KLMC to mobilise livestock producers to supply quality animals, while Avenews facilitates prompt, transparent payments through its digital financing platform. 

The initiative is expected to unlock access to flexible, transaction-based capital for producers, traders, and aggregators, aligning finance directly with the flow of livestock commerce.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, Avenews Kenya Managing Director Nancy Kinyanjui said the collaboration offers a game-changing solution to one of the industry’s most persistent challenges, access to credit. 

“Access to credit has long been a barrier, especially for pastoralist and trading communities that rely on fast, trust-based transactions rather than formal collateral,” she said. 

“This partnership provides a financing model that works the way the livestock market actually operates.”

A trade-linked model for a dynamic sector

The livestock industry is one of Kenya’s oldest and most important economic sectors, supporting millions of livelihoods. 

However, many pastoralists and traders continue to face barriers in accessing finance, as traditional lenders often struggle to accommodate the fluid nature of livestock trade. 

Avenews’ innovative trade-linked model seeks to bridge this gap by turning daily transactions into instant access to working capital.

“Our innovative financing model provides access to capital at the point of sale, not after,” Kinyanjui explained. “It makes the process faster, simpler, and more in tune with how the livestock market actually works.”

By providing financing that moves at the same speed as trade, the partnership aims to enhance value chain reliability, strengthen producer capacity, and boost the overall quality and consistency of livestock supply.

It also aligns with KMC’s ongoing efforts to revitalise Kenya’s meat industry and ensure fair returns for farmers supplying the commission.

Maj. Gen. Jattani Gula, Managing Commissioner of KMC, noted that the initiative represents a critical step toward integrating technology and finance in the livestock sector. 

He emphasised that prompt payments and greater market transparency will encourage more farmers to participate in formal trade channels, thereby improving productivity and national food security.

KLMC Chief Executive Officer Abdikadir Mohamed added that the council will play a pivotal role in mobilising livestock producers countrywide, ensuring that the benefits of this model reach smallholder and pastoralist communities.

A broader vision for agricultural finance

The livestock financing model follows Avenews’ earlier success in the agri-input sector, where the fintech firm launched a similar initiative in August 2025 with Mazao na Afya Ltd to support agrodealers and stockists. 

That program allows dealers to restock supplies without immediate cash payments, as Avenews pays distributors upfront while retailers repay later, using trust and trade data as the new collateral.

Building on that model, Avenews now seeks to replicate the same trade-embedded financing approach in other agricultural value chains, positioning itself as a key enabler of agribusiness growth across Kenya.

“We’re at the cusp of a new era for Kenya’s livestock sector,” said Kinyanjui in her closing remarks. “Together with KMC and KLMC, we’re building a trade-driven, fast, flexible, and fair financing model that rewards trust, productivity, and innovation at every level.”

The KSh 2.5 billion (US$16.4 million) livestock financing program is expected to accelerate investment in Kenya’s meat value chain, improve income stability for farmers, and contribute to sustainable, inclusive growth across the agricultural economy.

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