Updated 27 October 2026
Quick answer: the KCB Foundation runs two main education programmes. The KCB Scholars Programme pays secondary (senior school) fees for bright students from needy homes, and 2Jiajiri gives young people and informal-sector business owners short vocational training scholarships. For the senior school scholarship you need to have sat Grade 9 KJSEA at a public junior school, meet your county merit score and come from a needy background, then attend a county interview with a completed form and supporting documents.
This guide explains who qualifies, the documents you need, how the interview works, what the scholarship pays for and how to apply for 2Jiajiri. Everything here comes from the KCB Foundation website (foundation.kcbgroup.com), its 2026 application form and its FAQ page, read on 25 October 2026. Always download the current year’s form from the Foundation itself, because it says forms from previous years will not be accepted.
In this guide
- KCB Scholars Programme: Who Qualifies
- What the KCB Scholarship Pays For
- Documents You Need
- How to Apply for the KCB Scholarship, Step by Step
- 2Jiajiri: Vocational Scholarships for Youth and Small Businesses
- KCB Foundation Contacts
- Avoiding Scholarship Scams
- Other Ways to Fund Your Studies
- Frequently Asked Questions
KCB Scholars Programme: Who Qualifies
The 2026 application form sets three conditions. An applicant must:
- have sat Grade 9 KJSEA in 2025 at a public junior school;
- have met the merit score set for their county; and
- come from a needy background.
The Foundation’s 2026 announcement adds that qualified students who attained Meeting Expectation (ME1) and above in all learning areas were encouraged to apply. The form says it accepts applications from all 47 counties and that duly registered refugee students are encouraged to apply. Applicants must not be discriminated against on the basis of disability, gender, region, religion, refugee status or ethnic background, and the Foundation’s programme page says it seeks gender balance and a fair spread across counties.
Older Foundation pages still describe the KCPE-era rules (county cut-off marks in KCPE and a calling letter to a national or county school). Under the competency-based curriculum, the KJSEA result and the senior school calling and admission letters now take that role. If you are applying for the next intake, check the county merit scores published with that year’s form.
If you are still waiting on results or placement, our guides to KJSEA English and Kiswahili tips and official senior school fees for 2026 explain what comes next.
What the KCB Scholarship Pays For
According to the KCB Foundation programme page, the package covers:
- school fees for the four years of secondary school;
- support for personal effects and learning materials, plus assistive devices for students with a disability;
- quarterly one-on-one mentorship sessions with KCB branch staff; and
- an annual holiday mentorship programme.
The Foundation says the programme has run for more than 18 years. An older programme page states a target of 240 new beneficiaries a year. Treat that figure as historical, since the Foundation does not give a 2026 intake number on its current pages.
Documents You Need
The 2026 form says an application without copies of the following will not be considered:
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Birth certificate | Your name on the form must match it |
| Parent or guardian national ID | Copy |
| Parent death certificate | Only where it applies |
| Payslip of parent or guardian | Only if they are employed |
| KJSEA result slip | Grade 9 results |
| Evidence of extracurricular activity | Certificates, club or team membership |
| Evidence of leadership | For example a prefect or club leadership letter |
| Senior school calling letter | From the school you were placed in |
| Admission letter to the senior school | Copy |
You also attach a clear passport photo (head and shoulders) taken no more than three months earlier. If you already have a sponsor, the form asks for a confirmation letter from that sponsor.
How to Apply for the KCB Scholarship, Step by Step
- Get the form. Download the current year’s application form from foundation.kcbgroup.com, or ask at any KCB branch, which the Foundation says can provide it.
- Fill it in yourself. The form says all answers must be written by the student applying, in the spaces provided, with no extra pages. Where information is truly unavailable, write NOT AVAILABLE.
- Attach all copies. Use the document list above. Incomplete applications are not considered.
- Do not drop it at a branch. The form is clear that applications should not be left at any KCB branch.
- Attend the county interview. Bring the completed form and all original and copied documents to your county’s interview venue on the published date. You must be accompanied by a parent, a guardian or an adult the parent has authorised; the Foundation says it will not take responsibility for a child who arrives unaccompanied.
- Wait for shortlisting. Only shortlisted candidates are contacted. The Foundation verifies the information given, and its programme page says home visits are made to confirm need.
- Join the programme. Selected students are assigned a mentor from KCB staff and begin school.
For the 2026 intake, county interviews were held on 19 and 20 December 2025 at venues such as county primary and secondary schools. The next intake’s dates and venues will be published by the Foundation, so watch its website around the release of KJSEA results and senior school placement.
2Jiajiri: Vocational Scholarships for Youth and Small Businesses
2Jiajiri is KCB Foundation’s skills development and job creation programme. It aims to grow jobs and wealth among jua kali entrepreneurs and young people through technical training, business support and links to markets. The Foundation’s FAQ lists five sectors:
- construction;
- automotive services;
- domestic services;
- beauty and personal care; and
- agriculture.
Who can apply for 2Jiajiri
The FAQ names three groups:
- Existing micro business owners, registered or unregistered, who have been in business for one to five years when they apply;
- Apprentices aged 35 or below who have worked under a supervisor for the last six to 12 months; and
- Out-of-school youth aged 35 or below.
Past 2Jiajiri application forms also asked for a national ID card, the ability to read and write in English or Kiswahili, and a commitment to attend all training at a participating vocational centre or technical institute in your county. At the interview you bring the completed form with a passport photo, copies and originals of your ID and your highest academic certificate.
When 2Jiajiri recruits
The FAQ says recruitment usually happens once a year, between December and January, and that details appear in the local press, on the Foundation’s website and at local KCB branches. Check the Foundation’s website for the current intake before you apply. Business owners who join can formalise later by following our guides to reserving a business name on eCitizen and TVET fees in Kenya.
KCB Foundation Contacts
- Office: KCB Head Office, Kencom House, 1st Floor, Wing B, Nairobi (P.O. Box 48400-00100)
- Mobile: 0711 087 000 or 0732 187 000
- Telephone: 020 327 0000
- WhatsApp: 0711 087 087
- Email: kcbfoundation@kcbgroup.com
For bank questions rather than the Foundation, see our KCB help page with paybill and contacts.
Avoiding Scholarship Scams
The KCB Scholars form is a free download from the Foundation’s own website. Be careful with anyone who asks for money to “secure” a place or who sends forms from unofficial numbers. Selection, according to the Foundation, is competitive and based on its own interviews and verification.
Other Ways to Fund Your Studies
- How to apply for HELB as a first-time applicant (for university and TVET)
- HELB student portal: log in and track your loan
- Senior school fees in Kenya 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the KCB scholarship application done online?
No. You download the form (or get it from a KCB branch), fill it in by hand and bring it to your county interview. It is not submitted online or left at a branch.
What are the KCB scholarship requirements for 2026?
Grade 9 KJSEA sat in 2025 at a public junior school, the county merit score, a needy background and complete documents, including the birth certificate, KJSEA result slip and senior school calling and admission letters.
Does the KCB scholarship cover all four years?
Yes. The Foundation says it pays school fees for the four years of secondary school, plus learning materials and mentorship.
Can refugee students apply?
Yes. The 2026 form says duly registered refugee students are encouraged to apply.
What is the age limit for 2Jiajiri?
Apprentices and out-of-school youth must be 35 or below. Existing micro business owners qualify if they have been trading for one to five years.
Last verified 25 October 2026 on foundation.kcbgroup.com (2026 KCB Scholars application form, interview venues list, scholarships page and FAQs).
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