Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA) has sensitised at least a hundred entrepreneurs from Turbo Sub County, Uasin Gishu on business policies so as to empower them with knowledge on existing regulations and support services.
Through these initiatives the MSEA aims to foster a more informed, compliant, and competitive MSME ecosystem in the country.
Speaking in an interview Tuesday during the 4th Business Policy Awareness forum in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, Senior Assistant Director, Manufacturing and Agribusiness from MSEA, Tabitha Gicheru pointed out that MSEA’s policy forums are key to educating Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) on key business policies, available government support, financial opportunities, market access, and the benefits of business formalisation.
“The government has so many policies concerning the MSMEs but the policies might not be coming down to the beneficiaries and today we are here so that we can be able to unwind on that policy to ensure that the beneficiaries understand where the shoe is hurting and where they are benefiting and to bring awareness on the benefits that the MSME operators can get from the many players in MSME ecosystem,” explained the MSEA Senior Assistant Director.
She explained that MSEA in partnership with SNV and IYBA SEED project, is conducting a 2-year pilot programme in Uasin Gishu, Nakuru and Kisumu counties to ensure the MSE beneficiaries are aware of what benefits the stakeholders bring into the ecosystem like market linkages, access to finance, capacity building and others, so that they can explore and enhance their growth.
The partnership is geared towards empowering young businesses, particularly those owned by women and youth and people with disabilities across the MSME sector. The collaboration is set to drive sustainable economic growth through targeted, impactful initiatives.
On her part, the Project Manager of Investing in Young Businesses in Africa – Supporting Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development (IYBA-SEED) at SNV, an NGO based in South Holland Nduta Ndirangu, said they are working together with the authority specifically to help them create awareness for policies that are affecting the SEED beneficiaries which ideally means businesses that are owned by women, men and youth.
She revealed that there are so many small businesses in the county which have not been able to thrive due to challenges occasioned by legal and financial factors.
“We have realised there are so many of them in this county and one of the challenges that they are facing is unfriendly business environment. We are closely working with the county government to actually help them draft policies that will enable them to compete favourably with even other counties,” she explained.
“Some of the challenges that MSMEs face and specifically the young businesses are things to do with regulatory policies, access to finance, access to markets and such things, even the standards for their products,” added Ndirangu.
The forum discussions deliberated on the MSME Policy and Amendment Bill 2025 to create awareness on policies that promote an entrepreneurial culture and an enabling business environment.
It also focused on the role of other stakeholders working with MSEA like Women Enterprise Fund, Youth Enterprise Fund, Kenya Industrial Estate, Kenya Revenue Authority, county government and Inkomoko in supporting MSEs in terms of access to finance, tax and compliance, standards and quality, business formalisation and other MSEA-led government initiatives like NYOTA and KJET projects.
By Ekuwam Sylvester
