Vihiga: Vihiga County's Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with Business Acceleration for Young Entrepreneurs (BAYE) in Africa and the German Corporation GIZ, has conducted a sensitization workshop aimed at equipping young agripreneurs with essential skills. The initiative is part of an ongoing effort to support youth involvement in agriculture and enhance their socio-economic status through agribusiness.

According to Kenya News Agency, the program has selected 15 agripreneurs from each of the five sub-counties within Vihiga. These participants will benefit from an eight-month mentorship program designed to provide them with business, industrial, and peer-to-peer mentorship. Fredrick Otieno, the Founder and Managing Director of BAYE-Africa, emphasized that the program will focus on various aspects such as input supply, production, processing, distribution, on-farm feed formulation, brand development, and digital marketing. This approach aims to reduce production costs and improve market reach.

Otieno highlighted that each mentor in the program will work with three mentees, ensuring that the skills learned are passed on to a broader group of beneficiaries. This mentorship structure is intended to create a ripple effect, gradually expanding the network of skilled young agripreneurs in the county.

Nicholas Kitungulu, the County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Development, praised the initiative for engaging the youth in agribusiness. He stressed the importance of product branding for young entrepreneurs, encouraging them to establish unique market niches to enhance their competitiveness and economic empowerment.