WORLD MSME DAY AT KICC

Hundreds of MSMEs across the country joined His Excellency, President Dr. William Ruto, in marking the 9th edition of World MSME Day at KICC.

In his remarks, the president reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to empowering Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as key drivers of Kenya’s economic transformation.
In terms of policy and regulatory reforms, the President emphasized a value chain approach, the creation of MSME clusters, and a review of frameworks to ease business operations. He noted that over 20,000 government services have been onboarded onto the e-Citizen platform, creating a one-stop digital shop for entrepreneurs. Moreover, all government tenders will soon be accessible online, enhancing transparency and inclusivity.

On financial inclusion, President Ruto highlighted the progress of the Hustler Fund, which has disbursed KES 71 billion and mobilized KES 5 billion in savings to date. He acknowledged that while progress is commendable, more needs to be done to unlock greater access to affordable credit. On Credit rating, the president elaborated on how the 9-band engine works to foster good credit behaviors. Finally, on Hustler Fund, he emphasized that Hustler Fund is just but a tunnel to rehabilitate the over 7 Million Kenyans who were blacklisted under the CRB.

The event culminated in the official launch of the State Department for MSMEs Development Strategic Plan, officiated by the President, Cabinet Secretary FCPA Wycliffe Oparanya, Principal Secretary MSMEs Development Susan Mange'ni, and representatives from the MSME ecosystem.