UASIN GISHU HOSTS FINAL SME POLICY AWARENESS FORUM
“The policies being developed today will determine tomorrow’s business environment. Entrepreneurs must be part of that conversation,” she said.
Nduta Ndirangu, Project Manager for the Investing in Young Businesses in Africa (IYBS) programme, addresses participants during the MSME policy workshop. Photo: File.
By Robert Mutasi
Entrepreneurs, government officials, financial institutions and innovation hubs gathered in Uasin Gishu County for the sixth and final Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) policy awareness forum under the Inclusive Youth Business and Agricultural Support for Income Development (IYBASID) project, an initiative supported by the European Union through SNV Netherlands Development Organisation.
The forum focused on increasing awareness of Kenya’s newly enacted SME Policy 2026 and the proposed SME Amendment Bill 2026 while equipping entrepreneurs with information on government and private sector support available to help them establish, expand and sustain their businesses.
Speaking during the forum, SNV IYBASID Project representative Nduta Dirango said the event marked the conclusion of the current awareness campaign implemented in partnership with the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA).
“Today marks the sixth and final awareness forum under this phase of our collaboration with MSEA,” Dirango said.She said the initiative brought together entrepreneurs, county and national government agencies, financial institutions, innovation hubs and other ecosystem partners to strengthen support for micro, small and medium enterprises.
Dirango said entrepreneurs perform better when they operate within an enabling business environment supported by sound policies, affordable financing, quality business development services, innovation and strong collaboration between public and private institutions.
“We believe entrepreneurs thrive when they operate within a supportive ecosystem,” she said.She noted that discussions during the forum demonstrated that no single institution can solve the challenges facing SMEs on its own.
Instead, she called for stronger partnerships involving national and county governments, universities, financial institutions, innovation hubs and the private sector to address barriers limiting business growth.
Dirango encouraged entrepreneurs in Uasin Gishu County to actively participate in ongoing policy discussions, saying decisions made today will shape the country’s future business environment.
“The policies being developed today will determine tomorrow’s business environment. Entrepreneurs must be part of that conversation,” she said.
She added that the European Union-funded project remains committed to supporting entrepreneurship by creating an environment that generates decent employment opportunities, particularly for young people and women.
According to Dirango, regulatory challenges remain among the biggest obstacles facing small businesses.She said many entrepreneurs continue to struggle with compliance requirements, limited access to finance and inadequate business development services.
Through the IYBASID project, SNV has worked closely with ecosystem partners, including EldoHub, Uasin Gishu County government and entrepreneurs themselves, to improve access to information, strengthen business support services and enhance understanding of policies affecting SMEs.
She said the organization has also supported the county government in developing SME-focused policies aimed at improving the local business environment.
Dirango said the organization hopes to extend its work beyond county governments by supporting the State Department for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development and MSEA in establishing a national coordination framework for SME support.
She said such a framework would help reduce fragmentation among institutions implementing separate programs targeting entrepreneurs.”Many organizations are supporting SMEs independently. A national coordination framework would bring these efforts together for greater impact,” she said.
Officials from MSEA described the Eldoret forum as an important milestone in strengthening Kenya’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.They said the awareness campaign had served as a pilot project whose impact was already evident among youth and women entrepreneurs who had benefited from increased access to information and business support services.
The officials welcomed the recent launch of the SME Policy 2026 by President William Ruto during International MSME Day, saying the policy provides an opportunity to address long-standing bottlenecks affecting small businesses while unlocking new growth opportunities.
They noted that the project goes beyond policy awareness by bringing together all key players within the entrepreneurship ecosystem.Participants included county government officials, financial service providers, academic institutions, innovation hubs and private sector organizations, all working to improve support for entrepreneurs.
According to the officials, collaboration between the public and private sectors remains essential for strengthening SMEs, which form the backbone of Kenya’s economy.
They said continued partnerships will be critical in expanding access to finance, improving business advisory services, promoting innovation and creating sustainable employment opportunities across the country.
The forum concluded with renewed calls for entrepreneurs to engage actively in policy development and utilize available support services as Kenya implements reforms aimed at strengthening the SME sector and driving inclusive economic growth.
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