Oikocredit and Aqua for All partnerships to boost community water and sanitation provision in East Africa

Social impact investor Oikocredit and global foundation Aqua for All will support Sidian Bank in Kenya and EBO Financial Services in Uganda in increasing lending for water and sanitation services for underserved people.

Responding to Kenya’s and Uganda’s rural and peri-urban populations’ lack of access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services, Oikocredit and Aqua for All are partnering with Sidian Bank (Kenya) and savings and credit cooperative EBO  (Uganda). Oikocredit will provide US$ 2 million in Kenya and US$ 160,000 in Uganda to finance private-sector-led community WASH initiatives. Aqua for All will contribute technical assistance and training grants, first-loss capital and performance-based incentives. 

In Kenya, Sidian Bank (a partner of Oikocredit since 2005 and of Aqua for All since 2020) will lend to providers and customers of paid-for WASH services. The partnership is expected to benefit 5,000 households by 2026. In Uganda, EBO (an Oikocredit partner since 2016) will lend to its customers and small private water operators to expand or upgrade operations, and provide quick-access funds for emergency pipe repairs, benefitting 1,500 households by 2026.

Read the full press release here