NCBA Johari Awards spotlight Mombasa businesses driving trade and logistics

Mombasa’s role as Kenya’s main trade and logistics hub has come under the spotlight as NCBA recognised businesses and partners supporting the region’s commercial transport and mobility sectors.

The recognition was made during the 2026 NCBA Johari Awards, which brought together players from the motor vehicle, insurance, trade, logistics and commercial transport sectors.

The awards highlighted the importance of commercial vehicles, machinery and other productive assets to businesses operating around the Port of Mombasa and across the wider Coast region.

NCBA Group Director for Asset Finance and Business Solutions Lennox Mugambi said access to asset finance remains important for businesses that rely on transport and equipment to move goods and connect markets.

“Asset finance plays a major role in keeping trade moving, connecting goods to markets and supporting the transport and logistics sector in this region,” Mugambi said.

He said financing productive assets can allow businesses to invest in commercial vehicles, equipment and machinery without meeting the full cost of the investment upfront.

The financing is particularly relevant to micro, small and medium enterprises, transport operators and commercial fleet owners, which often have to balance investment in productive assets with day-to-day cash-flow needs.

Mombasa’s position within Kenya’s trade corridor has created demand for a range of commercial assets, from prime movers transporting cargo from the port to specialised logistics equipment, manufacturing machinery and cold-chain facilities supporting agricultural and fisheries value chains.

The Johari Awards form part of NCBA’s wider recognition programme covering 10 counties, with each region highlighting businesses and partners linked to its local economic activity.

In Mombasa, the focus was on trade, logistics and commercial transport, sectors that underpin the movement of goods and people along the Coast and into the rest of the country.

This year’s awards also carried a sustainability theme, with NCBA linking the campaign to its Ubuntu philosophy and wider environmental agenda.

The bank said more than 150 partners will be recognised during the 2026 celebrations, including regional winners and national champions.

Mugambi said the sustainability focus was intended to encourage businesses and communities to consider the environmental impact of economic growth.

“As we celebrate the achievements of our partners and stakeholders, we are also looking ahead at the kind of growth that we want to support in the years to come,” he said.

The campaign includes tree-planting activities involving the bank’s partners, customers and communities.

The Johari Awards recognise businesses and individuals across the mobility and enterprise ecosystem, including vehicle and equipment dealers, insurance partners and businesses using productive assets to expand their operations.