Social Enterprises (SEs) are increasingly viewed globally as vehicles for change due to their innovations, experimentations and development of new models, services, and products that can respond to pressing global challenges. Entrepreneurial ecosystems represent the wider context that not only shapes entrepreneurship but also shapes entrepreneurial responses to the grand challenges. Getting ecosystems ‘right’ is therefore imperative. This research sets out to critically examine the budding social enterprise ecosystem in Kenya by addresses the following research questions: 1) How is the ecosystem in Kenya developing? 1a) What is the current landscape of the ecosystem in Kenya? 1b) What type of environment is the ecosystem creating? 1c) How ‘Kenyan’ is the ecosystem? Through the examination of the ecosystems domains, based on a literature review and seven interviews with ecosystem stakeholders I argue that the current Kenyan Social Enterprise Ecosystem (SEE) is geared towards the creation of certain types of enterprises based on the Western models of SE. I will show that there is an alternative model in Kenya that can be found in Homegrown SEs models that have developed from the 1960’s. Using institutional isomorphism theory, I will show how a post-colonial critique can be applied to the development of the Kenyan SEE due to the large presence and direction setting of Western stakeholders. The study will offer missed opportunities in amplifying local knowledge, funding the gaps-new models of tailored support, rethinking scale, and a new African model of businesses. Finally, I maintain that the goals and values underpinning social entrepreneurship are inherent in the Kenyan cultures- and should be harnessed to create a wider movement of good businesses in Africa, and potentially beyond and offer a number of recommendations that could strengthen the ecosystem. Keywords: Social enterprises, social entrepreneurial ecosystem, Kenya, SSA, post-colonial, social entrepreneurs.
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