The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Cooperatives and MSME Development, Hon. Wycliffe Oparanya, led the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA), Uwezo Fund and Youth Fund Formalization and Financial Inclusion Outreach Programme at Solyo Grounds in Shinyalu, Kakamega County, as part of ongoing efforts to deepen financial inclusion and strengthen the MSME ecosystem nationwide.
While addressing the MSEs and Community Groups, Hon. Oparanya congratulated beneficiaries receiving government funding and encouraged MSMEs to invest wisely, formalize their enterprises, aggregate for improved market access, and adopt value addition strategies for sustainable business growth. He emphasized that financing must go hand in hand with training, financial discipline, and enterprise development, noting that these efforts align with the Government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which focuses on empowering youth, women, and persons with disabilities.
The forum brought together national and county leaders, State Agency executives, associations, self-help groups, and development stakeholders, creating a collaborative platform for advancing inclusive finance and enterprise development at the grassroots level.
Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Cooperatives and MSME Development, Hon. Wycliffe Oparanya, National and County leaders, State Agency executives during the forum.
Speaking at the event, the Registrar of Micro and Small Enterprises, Madam Maureen Chogo, encouraged entrepreneurs to formalize with the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA), noting that registration serves as a gateway to government financing, capacity-building programmes, and structured business development support. She further highlighted flagship empowerment initiatives such as NYOTA and the Kenya Jobs and Economic Transformation Project (KJET) which are ensuring youth and MSME clusters build skills to scale sustainably, attract financing, and create quality jobs that contribute meaningfully to local economic growth.
Registrar of Micro and Small Enterprises, Madam Maureen Chogo and Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Cooperatives and MSME Development, Hon. Wycliffe Oparanya, during the forum.
The Micro and Small Enterprises Authority partnered with Uwezo Fund, Youth Fund, Hustler Fund, Women Enterprise Fund, Kenya Industrial Estates, and other government agencies to deliver the outreach programme, reinforcing a coordinated approach to expanding affordable credit, enterprise support services, and sustainable livelihoods.
The Cabinet Secretary also interacted with MSEs exhibiting at the event, engaging them on product quality improvement, branding, market access, and growth opportunities.
Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Cooperatives and MSME Development, Hon. Wycliffe Oparanya and Members of Parliament, Kakamega County, Uwezo Fund CEO Mr. Peter Lengapiani and Hustler Fund CEO Mr. Henry Tanui interacting with exhibitors during the forum.
Through strengthened partnerships, enterprise formalization, and targeted financial interventions, the Government continues to build a more inclusive, resilient, and competitive MSME sector that supports job creation and socio-economic transformation.
