Global Compact Network Kenya

28/04/2026

“ The billion shilling blindspot: Why Kenya’s business leaders can't ignore gender equity” is the focus of Global Compact Network Kenya Executive Director Judy Njino’s latest oped in The Star. Kenya is leaving billions on the table by sidelining women, from KSh 603.9 billion in lost GDP to KSh 95.5 billion lost each year through workplace violence and harassment.

In the piece, she sets out why gender equity is the country’s next growth frontier and what boards must do differently. She connects the dots between pay gaps, the broken rung in leadership pipelines, the cost of gender based violence and harassment, and the chronic underfunding of women led businesses, showing that this is not a side issue but central to how we grow our economy and strengthen governance.

Judy also highlights how leading companies are already shifting, from gender responsive lending and safer workplaces to transparent reporting and targets that move beyond box ticking.

Read it here: https://www.the-star.co.ke/business/commentary/2026-04-26-monday-oped-njino-why-kenyas-business-leaders-cant-ignore-gender-equity-1

The choice: Invest in gender equity as a core business strategy, or accept competitive disadvantage

27/04/2026

Ocean Centres Kenya has reached a significant milestone.

After eight workshops across Kenya’s coastline, the initiative now moves into its national reporting phase, bringing together insights from government, private sector, coastal communities, and technical experts.

A consistent theme throughout was the central role of safety in shaping a sustainable blue economy, across sectors such as shipping and ports, fisheries and aquaculture, offshore energy, and finance.

Our latest article explores what this means for Kenya’s maritime future and how these insights will inform the next phase of action:

24 Apr 2026 Ocean Centres Kenya has completed its eight-workshop series across the Kenyan coastline, marking an important step in advancing a safer, more sustainable, and inclusive blue economy.The series culminated in a validation forum held in Diani on 8 April 2026, bringing together stakeholders....

27/04/2026

Ugandan businesses are under growing pressure from investors, regulators, and supply chain partners to show how they manage environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, with new research indicating a strong shift toward integrating sustainability into core strategy.

To support this momentum, Global Compact Network Kenya invites you to ESG Essentials: A Masterclass for Businesses in Uganda; a practical introductory webinar for SMEs, startups, and corporate teams seeking clear, locally relevant guidance on where to start and how ESG links to competitiveness, access to finance, and long-term resilience.

In this 90-minute session, you will delve into why ESG matters in Uganda’s evolving business landscape, gain insights anchored in the national policy and regulatory context, hear short showcases from East African businesses already applying ESG, and receive a simple starter checklist to guide your first steps.

Date: Tuesday, 12 May 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM (EAT)
Register: https://tinyurl.com/UgandaESGMasterclass

This masterclass is open to participants and non-participants and is part of our 2026 sustainability capacity-building programme, which will include follow-up sessions on sustainability roadmaps, SME resilience, emissions management, and ESG disclosures under emerging international reporting standards.

24/04/2026

Today, Global Compact Network Kenya welcomed Puratos Kenya to the United Nations Global Compact during a certificate handover ceremony at their Industrial Area factory in Nairobi.

In her remarks, Judy Njino Executive Director, Global Compact Network Kenya applauded the commitment as a public declaration to customers, supply chain partners and teams to operate with purpose, integrity and a clear focus on sustainability. She also underscored the critical role of the wider food and manufacturing ecosystem in advancing responsible production, food safety and healthier food systems.

Puratos Kenya General Manager, Ebru Pilav, reaffirmed the company’s purpose of moving the planet forward by creating innovative food solutions for the health and well-being of people everywhere. She outlined Puratos Kenya’s ambition on better living, better health and better life emphasized that sustainability is embedded in how the business innovates, invests and grows.

As a participant of the United Nations Global Compact, Puratos Kenya will work with Global Compact Network Kenya to deepen ESG integration, strengthen responsible sourcing and labour practices, and report on progress against the Ten Principles and the Sustainable Development Goals.

We look forward to walking this journey with Puratos and to collaborating on practical actions that can help transform Kenya’s food systems for people and planet.

24/04/2026

As the Communication on Progress (CoP) submission window (1 April–31 July 2026) gets underway, Global Compact Network Kenya is hosting a CoP Readiness Webinar to help participating companies navigate the process with clarity and confidence.

The CoP is a mandatory annual reporting requirement for all United Nations Global Compact participants, demonstrating their progress on the Ten Principles and the Sustainable Development Goals.

During this practical session, we will:

✔ Walk through the CoP digital questionnaire step by step
✔ Highlight priority focus areas across Human Rights, Labour, Environment and Anti-Corruption
✔ Share tips for using the UN Global Compact digital platform and key CoP resources
✔ Provide space for Q&A on common challenges

Date: Tuesday, 28 April 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM (EAT)
Format: Online

If you are a UN Global Compact participant and would like to attend, please reach out to our team on info@globalcompactkenya.org to register.

23/04/2026

Today, Global Compact Network Kenya, led by our Executive Director Judy Njino, was honoured to engage with Eng. Kipkemoi Kibias, Ag. Managing Director of Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited (KETRACO), and his leadership team at the Ministry of Energy, Kenya .

Our discussions explored KETRACO’s strategic role in advancing Kenya’s energy security and sustainable infrastructure, and how our platform can support the company’s ongoing sustainability journey through strengthened governance, ESG integration and enhanced transparency in reporting.

Building on robust national public sector frameworks, we discussed opportunities for KETRACO to benchmark with peer utilities locally and globally, access targeted capacity‑building, and further position itself as a sustainability leader among state corporations.

We look forward to continued collaboration as we support KETRACO on its journey to deepen sustainability impact in Kenya’s energy sector.

23/04/2026

Young people are bold innovators, resilient organizers, and essential partners in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals - António Guterres, United Nations Secretary General

Last month, Global Compact Network Kenya launched the 2026 SDG Innovation Accelerator for Young Professionals, sponsored by I&M Bank Ltd.

The accelerator brings together 17 companies to equip young professionals to turn real sustainability challenges into practical, scalable business solutions within their organizations.

Our first in person Innovation Camp brought innovators from part of the cohort into one room to interrogate their business models, map sustainability risks and opportunities, and frame priority challenges that will guide their innovation work. The energy and focus in the room reflected a clear ambition to embed SDG innovation at the core of business strategy, not at the margins.

Tomorrow, 24 April, we convene Innovation Camp 2 on the theme of Challenge Definition, as teams refine and clearly articulate the sustainability problems they will solve over the coming months.

This is how the next generation of business leaders is shaping solutions that serve both competitiveness and the Sustainable Development Goals.

22/04/2026

Happy Earth Day! 🌍

This Earth Day, turn climate ambition into credible action. The Climate Ambition Accelerator is a six-month programme supporting companies to set science-based emissions reduction targets aligned with the 1.5°C pathway and chart a clear course toward net-zero by 2050.

Whether you’re just getting started or ready to raise your ambition, the programme offers practical tools, expert guidance, and peer learning to help your business lead on climate action.

Learn more and apply: https://unglobalcompact.org/take-action/climate-ambition-accelerator

22/04/2026

As companies look beyond short-term savings, procurement is increasingly being used to build resilience, spark innovation and support more inclusive growth.

In partnership with the IFC - International Finance Corporation , Global Compact Network Kenya will convene a CEO Breakfast Dialogue on Inclusive Sourcing, bringing together a select group of business leaders to explore how inclusive sourcing can strengthen supply chains, unlock opportunities for women-owned businesses and drive measurable results through the Sourcing2Equal initiative.

The dialogue will focus on how CEOs can:
✔ Integrate inclusive sourcing into core procurement strategies
✔ Draw on lived experiences from women-owned businesses in corporate supply chains
✔ Engage with the next phase of Sourcing2Equal in Kenya and its ambitions for scale
✔ Translate high-level commitments into specific, trackable actions

This conversation is about moving from awareness to leadership, and from stand-alone initiatives to inclusive sourcing as standard business practice.

Kindly note this is a closed-door session for invited business leaders of Global Compact Network Kenya participating companies.

21/04/2026

Despite progress on women’s rights, the world is still off track to achieve gender equality by 2030. Companies in Kenya have a crucial role in closing gaps in leadership, pay and economic opportunity for women.

The Target Gender Equality Accelerator, delivered in collaboration with UN Women, helps businesses strengthen gender strategies and align targets with international best practice, including the Women’s Empowerment Principles. Whether you are just starting out or scaling existing initiatives, the programme offers data, peer learning and practical tools to turn commitments into measurable results.

Join the 2026 global Target Gender Equality Accelerator cohort and position your company as a leader in gender equality.

Apply here: https://unglobalcompact.org/take-action/target-gender-equality

20/04/2026

The recent Business and Human Rights workshop in Nairobi is part of Global Compact Network Kenya’s broader work to equip companies with the clarity, frameworks and partnerships needed to embed human rights in strategy, operations and reporting.

Across our programmes, we bring together business leaders, policy actors and practitioners for interactive discussions, practical insights and peer learning that help them navigate evolving due diligence expectations and align with global and national standards on business and human rights, as we equip companies to act, catalyze collective action and advance the business case for responsible, sustainable business.

Looking ahead, Global Compact Network Kenya will continue to build on this momentum by deepening engagement with companies, expanding opportunities for collaboration and driving ambitious action on business and human rights within Kenya’s private sector.

20/04/2026

Last Friday, our Executive Director, Judy Njino, joined leaders, partners and trailblazing women in industry at the 2026 Women in Manufacturing Awards Gala, hosted by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers.

The evening was a powerful reminder that women are not only participating in Kenya’s manufacturing sector; they are shaping its future.

In her remarks, Judy emphasized that in a world defined by overlapping crises, sustainability offers a pathway to future proof business. It is a practical strategy for building resilience and long-term business growth, especially for women-led enterprises and SMEs.

As a long-standing partner of KAM, Global Compact Network Kenya remains committed to supporting women in manufacturing to strengthen ESG performance now a pre-requisite to access markets, attract capital and enhancing long-term competitiveness.

Congratulations to all the nominees, winners and women powering Kenya’s industrial transformation.