Baringo: Baringo County is set to host a regional entrepreneurship centre, which will be among six satellite commercial hubs that are being set up by the government countrywide. The Centre, which will serve counties like Nakuru, Uasin Gishu, West Pokot, Turkana, Elgeyo Marakwet, Samburu, and Laikipia, will support young entrepreneurs to access skills in nine priority key value chains.
According to Kenya News Agency, Principal Secretary (PS) for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development Susan Mang’eni stated that the Sh3 billion capacity building programme funded by the German Government is aimed at providing skills development and networking for the young people to become self-reliant. Mang’eni was speaking at Kabarnet National Museums grounds during the closure of a two-day Baringo Business and Digital Innovation Summit, also attended by her ICT and Digital Economy counterpart Eng John Tanui.
Mang’eni noted that Baringo was chosen due to its youth and women interested in value chains like leather, c
otton, coffee, dairy, and edible oils. She emphasized the government’s commitment to finance youth for skill acquisition necessary for business. Additionally, Mang’eni urged the youth to take advantage of a programme offering Sh50,000 grants for viable business ideas.
Eng Tanui highlighted discussions with the Public Service Commission to unlock opportunities for Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) graduates. He revealed plans to construct two pilot digital hubs within the county early next year to open online opportunities for the youth, leveraging the digital era for economic advancement.
Governor Benjamin Cheboi encouraged the youth to present innovative ideas for support in achieving their business aspirations. He assured that his administration is prepared to assist other actors in the value chains to increase product quantities for the upcoming aggregation centres aimed at facilitating exports.
The summit, themed ‘Unleashing entrepreneurship and digital innovation for wealth creation’, was atte
nded by other leaders, including County Commissioner Stephen Kutwa, Kenya National Chambers of Commerce President Dr. Erick Rutto, Florence Jematia, and MPs Joshua Kandie, Benard Kitur, Erastus Nzioka, and Head of Creative Economy Dennis Itumbi.