For anything over 50K, one has to apply for a youth loan via a 'financial intermediary' which in most cases is a bank. The youth fund has a list of these intermediaries is on their website. Apparently, these intermediaries can lend up to KSh 1 million on behalf of the fund.

Problem is that they don't! For instance, equity bank is supposed to be a financial intermediary, but they do not have any formal 'youth loan' product. I called them up only to be told that they only lend to groups, which should be already in operation for 6 months. hmmm.....

Then I went to family bank, which has a 'vigana boost' youth fund loan. Promising, right? Except that you need a) a guarantor (someone with an account at family bank, b) security up to 2 times what your seeking (vehicle, title deed, shares, etc), c) your own personal banking statements, among other things. You need to provide these things before they can look at your proposal.

It turns out that getting financing from financial intermediaries is not as straightforward as you think. These banks treat them like any other product. So, if you're straight out of uni seeking capital, just fohgeddaboudit.