More than 500 entrepreneurs in Uasin Gishu County have benefited from a series of policy awareness forums organized by the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA) in collaboration with the SNV Netherlands Development Organisation through the Inclusive Youth Business for Africa (IYBA) SEED Project.
The programme concluded with the sixth and final forum held at EldoHub in Soy Sub-County on Monday, bringing together more than 60 micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) operators alongside representatives from government agencies, financial institutions, innovation hubs, universities and the private sector.
The forums focused on creating awareness of the Draft MSME Policy 2025 and the proposed Micro and Small Enterprises (MSE) Amendment Bill 2025 while encouraging entrepreneurs to actively participate in shaping policies that affect the sector.
Speaking during the forum, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation’s IYBA SEED Project Manager, Nduta Ndirangu, said the engagement marked the final phase of the current collaboration between SNV and MSEA in Uasin Gishu County.
She said the initiative was designed to ensure entrepreneurs understand proposed policy reforms, available government programmes and business support services that can help them establish, expand and sustain their enterprises.
Ndirangu observed that entrepreneurship can only thrive within a supportive ecosystem backed by enabling policies, accessible financing, quality business development services and innovation.
She noted that the European Union-funded IYBA SEED Project seeks to strengthen such ecosystems by promoting collaboration among public institutions, private sector players and development partners.
“One of the biggest challenges facing MSMEs is regulation, including policies governing how they operate, access to finance and business development services. The main objective of IYBA is creating decent employment opportunities for women and youth,” she said.
According to Ndirangu, discussions during the forums demonstrated that no single institution can adequately address the challenges facing MSMEs.
She said stronger partnerships among national and county governments, financial institutions, universities, innovation hubs and the private sector are essential in creating a business environment that enables enterprises to grow.
She urged entrepreneurs to take advantage of public participation opportunities, noting that the policies currently under development will shape the future of the MSME sector.
Ndirangu also commended MSEA, the Uasin Gishu County Government and other partners for supporting the initiative, reaffirming SNV’s commitment to strengthening entrepreneurship ecosystems that generate employment, particularly for women and young people.
Senior Assistant Director at MSEA, Tabitha Gicheru, said the partnership with SNV had enabled many entrepreneurs, including youth, women and persons with disabilities, to better understand the policy and institutional framework supporting MSMEs.
She welcomed the recently launched Revised MSME Policy 2026, saying it addresses long-standing challenges affecting the sector, including financing gaps, fragmented policy implementation and weak coordination among support institutions.
Gicheru explained that the forums went beyond policy awareness by bringing together ecosystem players to expose entrepreneurs to opportunities available across government and the private sector.
“In the IYBA SEED Project, it is not just about the policy. We are bringing together entrepreneurship ecosystem players to demonstrate what government and the private sector can offer MSMEs so that this critical sector continues driving economic growth,” she said.
MSEA North Rift Regional Director CPA Alton Kogo said implementation of the programme would now be expanded to additional counties following successful pilot phases in Uasin Gishu, Kisumu and Nakuru.
He said the sixth and final forum in Uasin Gishu attracted more than 60 entrepreneurs drawn from sectors including textiles, welding, manufacturing, services, creative industries and beneficiaries of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme.
Kogo said participants were introduced to various programmes and financial products offered by government institutions, commercial banks, innovation hubs and other ecosystem partners to help strengthen their businesses.
He noted that MSMEs remain a key pillar of Kenya’s economy through employment creation, innovation and wealth generation.
“Many MSMEs are unaware of the programmes available within government institutions and the private sector. That is why we bring together ecosystem players such as banks, Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), innovation hubs like EldoHub and Tumaini Hub, and the University of Eldoret to connect entrepreneurs with available opportunities,” he said.
Kogo revealed that more than 500 youth and women entrepreneurs had been trained during the six policy awareness forums held in Uasin Gishu County.
He expressed optimism that the programme would continue expanding to reach more entrepreneurs across the country while strengthening collaboration among institutions supporting enterprise development.
The awareness campaign forms part of broader efforts to improve the policy and business environment for MSMEs by enhancing stakeholder participation, strengthening enterprise support systems and promoting access to financing, innovation and business development services.
Organisers said the forums have laid a foundation for stronger collaboration between entrepreneurs and policy makers while equipping MSMEs with information needed to take advantage of available opportunities and contribute more effectively to Kenya’s economic growth.
By Ekuwam Sylvester and Becklyne Cherono
