Co-op Bank Wins Africa WaterCredits Forum 2026 Award
Ms Vedika Bhandarkar, President and Chief Operating Officer, Water.org (second right) presents the Leadership in Water Infrastructure and Finance Award to Ben Muriuki, Head of Investor Relations & Strategy at Co-op Bank.
The Co-operative Bank of Kenya has won the Leadership in Water Infrastructure and Finance Award at the Africa WaterCredits Forum 2026 in recognition of its role in financing water enterprises, infrastructure and service providers.
The award recognises the bank’s Co-op A Maji product, a dedicated financing solution designed to help water service providers, individuals, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and institutions invest in water supply, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure.
Through the product, customers can access financing for water tanks, solar pumps, water connections, exhausters and bowsers, smart meters and other water-related infrastructure. The initiative is aimed at supporting access to reliable water and improved sanitation services in urban, peri-urban and rural communities.
The recognition highlights the role of specialised financial products in supporting Kenya’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector, where investments in infrastructure are essential to expanding access to services and improving community livelihoods.
Co-op Bank’s achievement also builds on its partnership with Water.org, launched in 2023 under a three-year agreement targeting more than KSh3 billion in WASH financing and improved access to water and sanitation services for over 110,000 people.
Between March 2023 and August 2026, the bank disbursed KSh4.39 billion in WASH financing, exceeding the partnership’s original target. The results point to demand for tailored financing solutions that enable water service providers and other customers to invest in infrastructure and improve service delivery.
Commenting on the award, Co-operative Bank Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Dr Gideon Muriuki said access to water and sanitation remained a major development priority, requiring innovative financing to translate infrastructure plans into services for communities.
“Access to reliable water and sanitation remains one of Kenya’s most pressing development priorities, and innovative financing is essential to turn infrastructure ambitions into delivered services. Co-op A Maji reflects the Bank’s long-standing focus on sectors that drive inclusive growth and improve livelihoods at the community level,” Muriuki said.
The Africa WaterCredits Forum 2026 was held on October 16 at the Radisson Blu in Nairobi, bringing together financial institutions, water utilities, development partners and other stakeholders to explore ways of accelerating commercial investment in water and sanitation across Africa.
The award places a spotlight on the contribution of financial institutions to water infrastructure development, particularly through financing models that enable service providers and communities to invest in sustainable water supply and sanitation solutions.
