About Development Finance refers to the efforts of local communities to support, encourage and catalyze expansion through public and private investment in physical development, redevelopment and/or business and industry. Whereas the Development Finance sector has been growing in United States of America, Europe and South Africa, little has been done in creating or growing the Development Finance professionals required to steer this sector in East Africa generally and Kenya in particular. Development Finance was not being offered as a course in Kenyan Institutions of Higher Education. The curriculum was approved by the Commission of University Education and it was introduced in various Kenyan universities with effect from 2016. The first graduates were released into the local market in 2018. The next predicament was having a group of individuals not knowing where to take their skills to solve our Kenyan problems in the development finance arena. The Government of Kenya has made a good effort to form and support development finance organizations to address sector specific development requirements but the country is yet to have an organized pool of development finance professionals. This therefore calls for multiple and multifaceted efforts for all nations and its people. Professionals should group to innovate on how to mobilize resources for their country’s development agenda. The formation of the Development Finance Institute of Kenya (DFIK) is one of those ongoing global initiatives to respond to the need of having organized approaches to the development agenda. In 2020, a founding management committee was formed to spearhead the registration of a body. Chartered Institute of Development Finance – Kenya Chapter (CIDEF - K) was registered but there was a change of name as a strategy to address Kenyan development challenges directly with our partners and stakeholders. In essence Development Finance Institute of Kenya (DFIK) was founded in 2021 out of the need to address this gap ( an organized pool of development finance professionals) in Kenya. In December 2021 DFIK was launched. Eventually, DFIK desires to be a member of a global development finance body so as to increase cooperation, networks, share success stories and synergies in the development space in Kenya, Africa and the world.

Vision A professional institute that will deliver innovative solutions for Kenya's sustainable development agenda

Mission To build partnerships and strengthen our members' capacity to participate in advocacy, policy development, collaboration and thought leadership for sustainable development

Objectives The objectives of DFIK are to promote the realization of a profession that is cohesive, accountable, effective & independent whilst collaborating with development finance support agencies in government, the private sector and NGOs, academic institutions and development finance institutions on matters of mutual interest; to promote capacity in research, academia, training and relevant professional capacity building activities as well as creating public awareness and understanding of development finance.