The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), through the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR), has launched two new financing agreements to support reef-positive businesses in Kenya. These investments aim to tackle wastewater pollution and unsustainable fishing while promoting sustainable coastal livelihoods. The funding supports Sanivation and Kumbatia, two Kenyan enterprises that reduce pressures on coral reefs through circular economy solutions and sustainable fisheries practices. Both companies already have established operating models in Kenya, and the new financing is expected to help scale their solutions to additional coastal areas, enhancing benefits for marine ecosystems and local economies.
The investments, each offering up to USD 250,000 with performance- and impact-based terms, will strengthen training, quality and cold-chain systems, and traceability. Plans include deploying Pelagic Data Systems for artisanal vessel monitoring to improve transparency and responsible sourcing. According to Pierre Bardoux, Director of GFCR at UNCDF, these initiatives demonstrate how targeted blended finance can unlock private sector innovation for reef conservation and climate-resilient development. Both investments are part of the Miamba Yetu programme, a flagship blue economy initiative covering the Kenya–Tanzania seascape.
Sanivation, a waste-to-energy company, will use its new funding to expand operations to the Malindi National Marine Park. Its model treats sewage that would otherwise pollute sensitive marine ecosystems and converts it into clean-burning energy briquettes for industrial use. This approach is expected to reduce nutrient and pathogen loads entering coastal waters, create local jobs, and advance Kenya’s circular economy.
Kumbatia Seafood will use its financing to replicate and scale its Lamu model in the reef-rich Kwale region, shifting fishing efforts away from destructive reef-dependent practices toward offshore pelagic fishing for mahi mahi using selective, reef-safe methods. The company provides fishers with training in sustainable practices, promotes reef-safe gear, and connects them to high-value markets for responsibly sourced seafood. By linking premium market access to verified sustainable practices, the investment aims to reduce inshore reef pressure while supporting stable incomes for coastal communities.
Through these initiatives, UNCDF and GFCR’s Miamba Yetu programme illustrates how innovative finance can align sustainable economic development with coral reef protection, climate resilience, and community wellbeing. GFCR, led by UNCDF in partnership with UNDP and UNEP, is a multilateral coral reef finance platform that mobilizes public and private capital for the protection and management of climate-resilient reefs. Backed by a coalition of states, UN agencies, financial institutions, philanthropies, and civil society, GFCR uses a mix of grants, concessional financing, risk-tolerant instruments, and private investment to promote reef-positive outcomes across 22 coral nations. By 2030, GFCR aims to support over 400 business and finance solutions, improve management across three million hectares of reefs, and strengthen resilience for 20 million people.
