Beyond Barriers: An Integrative Framework of E-Commerce Adoption for Financial Inclusion and Growth of SMEs in Kenya

Charles Momanyi; Ronald Tombe

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ebm.20261202.12

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Beyond Barriers: An Integrative Framework of E-Commerce Adoption for Financial Inclusion and Growth of SMEs in Kenya

Charles Momanyi^*

, Ronald Tombe

Published in European Business & Management (Volume 12, Issue 2)

Received: 15 January 2026 Accepted: 29 January 2026 Published: 18 March 2026

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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.

Published in	European Business & Management (Volume 12, Issue 2)
DOI	10.11648/j.ebm.20261202.12
Page(s)	16-22
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Enterprise Systems, Data Interoperability, Artificial Intelligence, Just Transition, Sustainability

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APA Style

Momanyi, C., Tombe, R. (2026). Beyond Barriers: An Integrative Framework of E-Commerce Adoption for Financial Inclusion and Growth of SMEs in Kenya. European Business & Management, 12(2), 16-22. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ebm.20261202.12

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ACS Style

Momanyi, C.; Tombe, R. Beyond Barriers: An Integrative Framework of E-Commerce Adoption for Financial Inclusion and Growth of SMEs in Kenya. Eur. Bus. Manag. 2026, 12(2), 16-22. doi: 10.11648/j.ebm.20261202.12

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AMA Style

Momanyi C, Tombe R. Beyond Barriers: An Integrative Framework of E-Commerce Adoption for Financial Inclusion and Growth of SMEs in Kenya. Eur Bus Manag. 2026;12(2):16-22. doi: 10.11648/j.ebm.20261202.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ebm.20261202.12,
  author = {Charles Momanyi and Ronald Tombe},
  title = {Beyond Barriers: An Integrative Framework of E-Commerce Adoption for Financial Inclusion and Growth of SMEs in Kenya
},
  journal = {European Business & Management},
  volume = {12},
  number = {2},
  pages = {16-22},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ebm.20261202.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ebm.20261202.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ebm.20261202.12},
  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.
},
 year = {2026}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Beyond Barriers: An Integrative Framework of E-Commerce Adoption for Financial Inclusion and Growth of SMEs in Kenya

AU  - Charles Momanyi
AU  - Ronald Tombe
Y1  - 2026/03/18
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ebm.20261202.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ebm.20261202.12
T2  - European Business & Management
JF  - European Business & Management
JO  - European Business & Management
SP  - 16
EP  - 22
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-5811
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ebm.20261202.12
AB  - 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.

VL  - 12
IS  - 2
ER  -

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Author Information

Charles Momanyi

School of Business and Economics, Kisii University, Kisii, Kenya

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0004-5762-3441
Ronald Tombe

Computing Sciences Department, Kisii University, Kisii, Kenya

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0765-2947

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Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Momanyi, C., Tombe, R. (2026). Beyond Barriers: An Integrative Framework of E-Commerce Adoption for Financial Inclusion and Growth of SMEs in Kenya. European Business & Management, 12(2), 16-22. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ebm.20261202.12

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ACS Style

Momanyi, C.; Tombe, R. Beyond Barriers: An Integrative Framework of E-Commerce Adoption for Financial Inclusion and Growth of SMEs in Kenya. Eur. Bus. Manag. 2026, 12(2), 16-22. doi: 10.11648/j.ebm.20261202.12

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AMA Style

Momanyi C, Tombe R. Beyond Barriers: An Integrative Framework of E-Commerce Adoption for Financial Inclusion and Growth of SMEs in Kenya. Eur Bus Manag. 2026;12(2):16-22. doi: 10.11648/j.ebm.20261202.12

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ebm.20261202.12,
  author = {Charles Momanyi and Ronald Tombe},
  title = {Beyond Barriers: An Integrative Framework of E-Commerce Adoption for Financial Inclusion and Growth of SMEs in Kenya
},
  journal = {European Business & Management},
  volume = {12},
  number = {2},
  pages = {16-22},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ebm.20261202.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ebm.20261202.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ebm.20261202.12},
  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.
},
 year = {2026}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Beyond Barriers: An Integrative Framework of E-Commerce Adoption for Financial Inclusion and Growth of SMEs in Kenya

AU  - Charles Momanyi
AU  - Ronald Tombe
Y1  - 2026/03/18
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ebm.20261202.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ebm.20261202.12
T2  - European Business & Management
JF  - European Business & Management
JO  - European Business & Management
SP  - 16
EP  - 22
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-5811
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ebm.20261202.12
AB  - 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.

VL  - 12
IS  - 2
ER  -

Copy | Download