Last Updated March 20, 2013

SMEP - Deposit Taking Microfinance Limited is a leading Christian microfinance organization in Kenya. Operating since 1999, SMEP hopes to empower Kenyans and alleviate poverty. Through innovation, it plans to continue to redefine and reinvent its systems to respond to the evolving and active Kenyan marketplace. SMEP aims to maintain a strong, dynamic, customer-centric institution that is a reliable financial partner to all of its customers.

The primary goal of SMEP is to improve the standard of living of economically poor and marginalized entrepreneurs by providing access to credit and other services that can stimulate economic growth. In the long run, SMEP hopes to increase income generating activities among low income entrepreneurs, improve the business management skills of its clients and create an economically sustainable credit program.

SMEP’s two main product categories of credit include group and retail loans. These loans are given to micro and small entrepreneurs who have registered with self-help groups and have complied with SMEP group rules and regulations.

These loans average in size from KES 25,000 to KES 3 million (US$292 to $35,000). To protect clients’ interests, these loans are not secured by conventional collateral such as land title deeds or vehicles. Instead, group members guarantee one another. SMEP’s loan portfolio is focused on financing small businesses or micro enterprises operated by low income individuals.

In 2009, SMEP achieved a major milestone by partnering with Safaricom to enable its clients to repay their loans using mobile transaction service M-PESA.