The State Department for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development has entered into a collaboration with the Broad-Based Youth Front aimed at expanding economic opportunities for young people and small businesses.
Principal Secretary Susan Mang’eni said the partnership with Kasmuel Mc’oure, the Convenor of the Broad-Based Youth Front, will focus on improving youth access to timely information, government programmes and practical tools needed to start and grow enterprises.
She noted that many young entrepreneurs and MSMEs continue to miss out on public support due to limited awareness and gaps in outreach, a challenge the collaboration seeks to address through targeted engagement and mobilisation.
Under the initiative, the two parties will work together to deepen awareness and uptake of flagship government programmes such as the Hustler Fund and the NYOTA Project, which are designed to expand access to affordable financing, skills development and business support for youth-led enterprises.
The partnership will also promote the use of shared user spaces, facilities that allow MSMEs to undertake value addition, improve product quality and scale up production without bearing high capital costs. Officials say these spaces are expected to play a key role in strengthening small businesses and improving their competitiveness.
Mr Mc’oure said the Broad-Based Youth Front will leverage its grassroots networks to reach young people across the country, ensuring that information on available opportunities reaches those most in need.
The collaboration aligns with the government’s broader agenda of driving inclusive growth, reducing youth unemployment and supporting MSMEs as a key pillar of Kenya’s economic development.
