Rooted in a shared vision for a stronger MSMEs ecosystem, Micro and Small Enterprises Authority partnered with the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) to host the 3rd Annual SME Conference, Awards & Exhibition, held from 23–24th July 2026 at All Saints Cathedral Auditorium, Nairobi, under the theme “Beyond Survival: Building Smart and Resilient Businesses.” The two-day event brought together entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, financial institutions and development partners for critical conversations on access to finance, innovation, digital transformation, market access and enterprise growth.
The conference was officially opened by Principal Secretary for the State Department of MSMEs, Hon. Susan Mang’eni, who represented Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Co-operatives and MSME Development, Hon. Dr. Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya. Speaking during the opening ceremony, PS Mang’eni noted that Kenya’s growing demand for jobs particularly among the youth makes MSMEs the most reliable route to job creation and inclusive economic growth. If every enterprise created just five jobs, she remarked, livelihoods across the country could be transformed and unemployment significantly reduced.
PS Mang’eni called on the private sector, development partners and financial institutions to work hand in hand with the Government to de-risk MSMEs, expand access to affordable finance, and create an enabling environment where businesses can grow and create more jobs. She further encouraged entrepreneurs at the conference to apply for the Kenya Jobs and Economic Transformation Project (KJET) Cohorts 3 & 4, whose application window remains open until 21st August 2026, and to benefit from business capacity-building support and catalytic investment opportunities. She also invited exhibitors to apply for the EAC MSME Trade Fair 2026 in Kigali, Rwanda, as a gateway to expand market linkages for Kenyan products and help enterprises scale beyond the country’s borders. Equally, she challenged the media to work hand in hand with MSME sector players in strengthening the ecosystem by highlighting opportunities, celebrating entrepreneurial success stories, and fostering a culture of investment and enterprise.
Principal Secretary for the State Department of MSMEs, Hon. Susan Mang’eni giving her remarks during the official opening.
Touring the exhibition pavilion, PS Mang’eni engaged directly with MSEs showcasing their products and innovations from edible oils and leather accessories to shower gels, skincare products, premium coffee and tea, jewellery, and Maasai shangas, with financial institutions including Equity Bank also present at the pavillion. She encouraged entrepreneurs to remain persistent and to fully utilize the support structures available to them, including business clinics, financing institutions exhibiting at the conference, and market linkage opportunities. The tour’s standout moment came at the MSEA booth, where she met Gloria Naneu, a NYOTA Business Startup Capital beneficiary from Kilgoris, Narok County, proudly exhibiting her locally made Maasai shangas. PS Mang’eni urged the MSEs in attendance to visit the MSEA booth to register and learn more about the various programs running to support enterprise growth.
Principal Secretary for the State Department of MSMEs, Hon. Susan Mang’eni interacting with exhibiting MSEs.
Gloria’s presence was itself a story worth telling. As a beneficiary of both tranches of the NYOTA Business Startup Capital, she received a total of Kes. 50,000, with Kes. 6,000 deposited directly into her NSSF savings account capital to grow her enterprise and a safety net for her future. Her journey from Kilgoris to KEPSA’s premier MSME stage is a compelling demonstration of what NYOTA, a flagship initiative under the Government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), is designed to achieve: uplifting youth entrepreneurs at the grassroots and building a more inclusive MSME sector from the ground up.
Gloria Naneu, a NYOTA Business Startup Capital beneficiary from Kilgoris, Narok County, exhibiting her locally made Maasai shangas and interacting with Hon. Susan Mang’eni PS State Department for MSMEs.
Throughout the two days, the MSEA booth served as a vibrant hub of activity at the conference, offering MSMEs practical advisory and information services on enterprise development, business formalization, capacity building opportunities, access to finance, market linkages, incubation and business development services. The booth brought MSEA’s programs to life in a tangible way not as abstractions on paper, but as real, accessible pathways for entrepreneurs looking to formalize, grow and compete. It also provided a platform for MSEA to connect directly with entrepreneurs on the ground and understand their evolving needs, reinforcing the Authority’s commitment to walking alongside Kenya’s MSMEs at every stage of their journey.
MSEA officer Sarah Gikundi from the office the Registrar attending to stakeholders and Gloria Naneu, NYOTA Business Start-up Capital beneficiary from Kilgoris, Narok County exhibiting her Maasai shangas at the MSEA booth.
As the conference moved into its second and final day on 24 July 2026, the energy shifted toward recognition and celebration. MSEA Director of Business Development, Marketing and Trade, Dr. Caroline Kaua, represented Director General Mr. Henry Rithaa at the award ceremony, presiding over the SME Enabler Awards the first category of the evening where she presented appreciation awards to judges, including officers from MSEA and key partners, who had overseen the rigorous process of screening and identifying the most deserving enterprises. In his remarks read by Dr. Kaua, Mr. Rithaa reminded the room that resilient businesses are born from humble beginnings, kitchens, garages and market stalls and that their success is built not merely on capital, but on mentors, strategic partners and the willingness to adapt. The future, he said, belongs to businesses that are willing to learn, innovate and evolve.
Mr. Rithaa’s remarks outlined the Authority’s active role in supporting entrepreneurs through real-world challenges connecting them to markets, helping them acquire machinery through the KJET project, and collaborating with agencies like Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (KEPROBA) and Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) to improve product quality and secure certification. He noted that programs like the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement project (NYOTA) and Kenya Jobs Economic and Transformation (KJET) project are driving enterprise growth by equipping young entrepreneurs and MSMEs with mentorship, startup grants, digital tools and enterprise clusters that reduce production costs and open new opportunities. Ultimately, he emphasized that transforming Kenya’s economic landscape depends on robust public-private collaborations between institutions like MSEA, KEBS, financial bodies and development partners to build a comprehensive ecosystem where enterprises can innovate, cut costs, access wider markets and compete with confidence on both the local and regional stage.
MSEA Director of Business Development, Marketing & Trade, Dr. Caroline Kaua giving her during the award ceremony remarks.
The evening proved a proud one for MSEA, with several of the enterprises it has nurtured walking away with well-deserved recognition. SevenTwenty Holdings, an MSEA-supported MSE, took the Imara Business Innovation Award and Kes. 225,000, a moment that brought the conference full circle, with a business shaped by MSEA’s support ecosystem standing on a national stage among Kenya’s most innovative and resilient enterprises. Narropil Honey Enterprises Ltd, from Laikipia County, won the Biashara Green Innovation Award and its top prize of Kes. 200,000, while Fibertext Green Paper Ltd, from Bungoma County, came in as second runners-up in the same category, receiving a certificate and a plaque for its strides in sustainable enterprise. Mara Youth Agenda, from Tharaka Nithi County, claimed the Chipukizi Business Innovation Award and Kes. 200,000 for its innovative approach to youth-led enterprise, and Kaycee Crafts, from Meru County, rounded off the evening with the Biz Mashinani Award and Kes. 200,000 for its contribution to grassroots enterprise development.
Across every category, the wins were a testament to what hard work, resilience, and consistency can achieve — and a proud affirmation of the impact MSEA’s programmes are designed to deliver. As the curtains closed on the KEPSA 3rd Annual SME Conference, what lingered was not just the energy of two extraordinary days, but a renewed sense of purpose. From Gloria Naneu at the MSEA booth to SevenTwenty Holdings’ win on the main stage, the conference was a vivid reminder of what becomes possible when the right support, the right partnerships, and the right policies come together. MSEA remains committed to linking MSMEs to markets, empowering them with knowledge, and ensuring that every micro and small enterprise has the opportunity to grow, compete, and thrive.
