Abstract:
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are the cornerstone of the Kenyan economy, contributing significantly to
GDP and employment. Despite their importance, they face persistent barriers to growth, including severe constraints in accessing
formal credit, limited market reach, and operational inefficiencies. Traditional financial institutions often fail to serve them due
to high collateral requirements and cumbersome processes. This paper proposes a novel digital FinTech platform designed
to overcome these challenges and foster SME resilience and growth. We present a comprehensive conceptual framework that
integrates Enterprise Application Integration (EAI), Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to
create a holistic digital ecosystem. This study outlines the architectural methodology for building an intelligent ecosystem
and demonstrates how technological synergy addresses core SME pain points. The research contributes to the literature on
financial inclusion and digital transformation by providing a scalable model for leveraging technology to de-risk lending, enhance
operational efficiency, and unlock new market opportunities for SMEs.
