Twelve women-led value addition groups from nine counties are set to establish fully fledged cottage industries following their graduation from a two-year entrepreneurship incubation program, designed to scale and commercialize their products.
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Principal Secretary Susan Mang’eni says each group will receive half a million shillings to expand and formalise their businesses.
She is calling for more partnerships with institutions of higher learning to roll out similar programs across all counties.
Through the Women Enterprise Empowerment WEE Hub at the University of Nairobi, the participants underwent two year intensive entrepreneurship course where they were equipped with skills in business management, technical backstopping, packaging, and market access.
PS Mang’eni emphasized the need to empower rural women to fully harness the resources around them and transform their livelihoods through entrepreneurship and local manufacturing.
Mang’eni says 13 County Aggregation and Industrial Parks are in the final stages of establishment urging women entrepreneurs to formalize their businesses and actively take up space in the country’s industrialization journey.
In a major boost to Kenya’s trade position, the International Trade Centre has selected Kenya as its regional headquarters, reinforcing the country’s role as a hub for trade facilitation in East Africa.