Micro and Small Enterprise Authority (MSEA) on Tuesday held a sensitization and machine issuance session in South Imenti as part of the Mashinani outreach programme on empowering Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in the Constituency.
The event which saw several groups issued with various machines meant to empower them economically was officiated by MSEA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Henry Rithaa in collaboration with the Office of the South Imenti Constituency MP Dr Shadrack Mwiti.
“We are here because we have a deliberate strategy to ensure that we implement the bottom-up economic transformation agenda in the practical sense in that what matters is that the small enterprise sector succeed,” said Rithaa.
“That farmer in milk production is able to take milk produced cost effectively, take their milk to the market and be able to have money in their pockets,” he added.
He said they were sensitizing small enterprises country to make them aware of what the government is doing through MSEA including NYOTA and KJET projects that the Government has funded to the tune of more than Sh150billion to be implemented by various partners to support the youth and the small business sector.
NYOTA targets youth between 18-29 years and persons with disability up to 35 years, providing well-structured capacity building, organizing them into sectors, supporting them, and training them on how to make their business work within the fields they have chosen to create employment from the youth.
Rithaa disclosed that the NYOTA project is targeting at least 110,000 youths each getting Sh50,000.
The event was also graced by the Presidential Economic Transformation Secretariat led by the Technical Lead on MSMEs Mr Charles Kemboi and Advisors on Gender and MSMEs Ms. Esther Mukiri and Mr. Robert Mugambi respectively.
The team lauded the initiative, emphasizing that the government is making enterprise empowerment a reality, and not just a policy promise on papers.
In his remarks, Kemboi noted that the Authority is setting MSEs on a path towards sustainable growth and job creation through upscaling common user machinery, marketing and financial linkages to unlock challenges and bottlenecks that hinder their meaningful participation in the economy.
Addressing the beneficiaries, Director Business Development Marketing and Trade Dr. Caroline Kaua noted that the initiative was part of MSEA’s broader mandate to enhance the productivity, formalization, and sustainability of MSEs across the country.
Deputy Coordinators for both National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) and Kenya Jobs and Economic Transformation (KJET) projects took the MSEs participants present through the application process and benefits of the projects.
Meru County’s Sports Youth Affairs Gender and Social Development Executive Member Mr Elias Murega said young people have been facing various challenges but the county government is looking forward to partnering with the national government in order to come up with ways of empowering them.
“The county’s ongoing partnership with MSEA to provide technical training, workspaces, and linkages to financing for local entrepreneurs is a worthy cause and we will upscale it to ensure all our youths have been reached wherever they are,” said Murega.
During the event, 22 Associations from the 6 wards in the constituency were issued with sector-specific machinery namely; woodwork combination, arc welding, grinders, plate compactors, electric sewing machines, leather sewing machines, carwash and diagnostic equipment and salon and beauty equipment.
The tools were expected to improve output, reduce operational costs, and increase market competitiveness for these Associations.
MSEA is enhancing the productivity and competitiveness of MSEs through equipping them with essential machinery to promote innovation and help these enterprises transition from subsistence-level operations to profitable, growth-oriented ventures.
Present during the event were Meru County Commissioner Mr. Jacob Ouma, representatives from Ajira Digital, Youth Fund, Kenya Industrial Estates, Women Enterprise Fund and representatives from the County and National government.
By Dickson Mwiti
