If you’ve ever wondered what to do with business profits sitting idle in a current account, Absa Asset Management Limited (AAML) has just made that decision easier. The subsidiary of Absa Bank Kenya has received approval from the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) to launch two new funds under the Absa Unit Trust Scheme: the Absa Global Multi-Asset Special Fund in US Dollars, and its Kenyan Shilling equivalent. Together, they offer a straightforward route into professionally managed, globally diversified portfolios, without requiring you to personally track international markets or manage currency exposure.
Why This Matters for Your Wealth
Most people associate investment funds with those who already have significant wealth parked somewhere. SME owners, however, are some of the most natural candidates for this kind of product, since business income tends to move in cycles: strong months, slow months, and the occasional windfall after landing a big client. Rather than letting surplus cash sit and earn next to nothing, you can put it to work in a fund managed by professionals whose full-time job is tracking markets, something few business owners have the bandwidth to do themselves.
This isn’t a niche opportunity either. Small and medium businesses make up close to 98 per cent of all registered enterprises in Kenya, contribute an estimated 40 per cent of GDP, and employ around 15 million people. The choices individual entrepreneurs make about growing and protecting capital ripple outward, touching employees, suppliers, and entire local economies.
How AAML’s New Funds Work
The Absa Global Multi-Asset Special Funds give investors exposure to international opportunities in either US Dollars or Kenyan Shillings. A fund manager handles the mechanics, spreading your money across different countries and asset types so your wealth isn’t tied to the fortunes of a single business, sector, or currency.
According to Elizabeth Irungu, Head of Absa Asset Management, local investment products have continued to perform strongly even as these new global options open up. The Absa Equity Fund, for instance, recorded a 15 per cent return during the first half of 2026.
What makes these funds particularly accessible is the entry point: minimum investments start from KSh 1,000 or USD 100. This puts them within reach of a transport operator who has just closed a good quarter, or a manufacturer who received an early payment from a client, without requiring the kind of capital that only large corporates or high-net-worth individuals typically hold.
A Market Already Moving This Way
The timing reflects a broader shift already underway in Kenya’s investment landscape. As of March 2026, special funds accounted for 23.9 per cent of Kenya’s Collective Investment Schemes market, with assets under management reaching KSh 203.5 billion, according to CMA data. Absa’s own funds have grown by 28 per cent since inception, a trend the company attributes to growing customer confidence and increasing interest in diversified investment products. More Kenyans, across income levels, are choosing to let professionals handle part of their wealth while they focus on running their businesses.
Getting Started the Right Way
Before moving any surplus into a unit trust fund, a few practical steps are worth taking. First, keep a working capital buffer: a business needs enough cash on hand to cover slow months, unexpected repairs, or a late-paying client before any profit gets redirected into investments.
Second, match your investment horizon to your goal. If you’re saving toward a specific business expansion, such as buying a second delivery truck in two years, that timeline should shape which fund, or combination of funds, fits best, since some are built for steady income and others lean toward growth.
Third, understand the fee and risk structure before committing. Ask what management fees apply, how liquid the fund is if you need to withdraw early, and what currency risk looks like if you choose the USD-denominated option over the KES one. A conversation with a qualified financial advisor before committing funds is worth the hour it takes, since every business’s cash flow and risk tolerance differ.
The Bottom Line
Growing your wealth through AAML starts with recognising that profit sitting idle is an opportunity cost. With entry points as low as KSh 1,000 or USD 100, professionally managed diversification, and a track record that includes 28 per cent growth since inception, these funds offer Kenyan entrepreneurs a practical way to protect and grow the wealth their businesses generate, while staying focused on the work of running those businesses.