47 Machakos Students Selected for Prestigious 2026 Equity Leaders Program

A total of 47 students from Machakos County have been selected to join the 2026 cohort of the prestigious Equity Leaders Program (ELP), reaffirming Equity Group’s commitment to nurturing young, ethical, and transformative leaders.

Speaking during a ceremony held outside the Machakos Equity Branch, the Branch Manager Hellen Muthoki officially flagged off  scholars who are part of the 2026 cohort. The scholars will join over 700 peers from across the country for a two-week induction training at Kasarani, Nairobi, before being deployed to various Equity Bank branches for internship placements.

Ms. Muthoki said the Equity Leaders Program is a strategic investment in young people with exceptional talent, discipline, and strong values, aimed at shaping ethical leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers for Kenya and the global community.

“Through the Equity Leaders Program, we are deliberately investing in young people with the capacity to become ethical leaders, innovators, and agents of change both locally and globally,” said Ms. Muthoki.

She noted that Equity Group has reaffirmed its long-term commitment to transforming the lives of youth and communities through education and leadership development. The ELP leadership development model, she explained, focuses on personal and professional growth, global exposure, creativity, innovation, and community engagement.

Ms. Muthoki emphasized that the selected scholars represent the future generation of doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs, and policy makers, who will not only transform their own lives but also uplift entire communities.

She further revealed that the program has so far supported 22,009 beneficiaries through secondary education and enabled 4,039 Wings to Fly alumni to successfully transition beyond secondary education.

Through its post-secondary pathways, Ms. Muthoki added, the program continues to align education with labour market needs, particularly within Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and university education. Currently, 33 per cent of beneficiaries pursue IT-related courses, 31 per cent are enrolled in science and engineering disciplines, while the rest are spread across agriculture, environmental science, hospitality, tourism, and other fields.

The event was also attended by Machakos County Executive Committee Member for Education, Dr. Consolata Mutisya, who represented Governor Wavinya Ndeti.

Dr. Mutisya paid glowing tribute to Equity Group for its unwavering support for education and human capital development.

She urged the beneficiaries to excel in their university studies as a way of reciprocating the bank’s investment in their education, and encouraged them to choose courses aligned with current and future market demands.

Dr. Mutisya also appealed to other stakeholders to emulate Equity Group by supporting bright but needy students from humble backgrounds, noting that education remains a powerful tool for social and economic transformation.

The Equity Leaders Program (ELP), established in 1998, is Equity Group’s flagship initiative aimed at empowering academically gifted youth through access to higher education and structured leadership development. To date, the program has benefited 10,505 university scholars across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).