The intersection of finance and education took center stage at the 2025 KEPSHA National Annual General Meeting, where over 15,000 head teachers gathered to chart the future of Kenya’s primary education. Held under the theme of empowering schools for a sustainable future, the event became a key platform for sharing innovations, building partnerships, and deepening collaboration between education stakeholders and financial institutions.
While the massive turnout highlighted the sector’s scale, it was Co-operative Bank’s strategic roadmap for school digitization and asset financing that captured the room.
Against the backdrop of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) transition, Co-op Bank has moved beyond traditional banking, positioning itself as a holistic infrastructure partner. The lender introduced a dual-pronged approach: easing capital expenditure through asset leasing and streamlining operations through fintech integration.
The Lease-to-Own Revolution
For decades, acquiring school buses has been a capital-intensive burden for public and private institutions. Addressing this, David Akumu, Head of Business Banking at Co-op Bank, said they have introduced a refined bus leasing program designed to unlock cash flow.
“We are moving schools away from heavy upfront expenditures,” Akumu explained. The bank’s leasing model aligns repayment plans with school fee collection cycles, ensuring that upgrading transport infrastructure does not paralyze a school’s operational budget. “Our goal is to support the comprehensive school ecosystem with solutions tailored to the realities of school management,” Akumu added.
The bank has partnered with EdTech leader Zeraki. In a move to digitize administrative efficiency, Co-op Bank is integrating its payment rails with Zeraki’s analytics platforms.
Zakayo Mwai, Head of New Frontiers at Co-op Bank, described the partnership as a definitive step toward the “smart school.” The integration allows for real-time reconciliation of school fees paid via Co-op Bank directly within the Zeraki system, effectively eliminating manual accounting errors.
“Whether in rural or urban Kenya, every school deserves access to smart, reliable financial tools,” Mwai stated. “This is about digital transformation that offers immediate, practical accountability.”
Empowering the Educator
The conference, opened by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba, also focused on the welfare of the educators themselves. Lena Yego, Head of Retail Banking, emphasized that institutional success starts with personal financial stability for head teachers. She reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to bespoke personal banking products designed to support teachers as community pillars.
