Turkana county administration has unveiled a Sh133 million kitty that will be used to support youth and women economic ventures.
Area governor Josphat Nanok said the amount sourced from the Youth Enterprise and Women Empowerment Fund during this financial year will be shared as business loans for beneficiary groups across all the 30 wards.
“Each ward will receive Sh4 million,” Nanok said at Ekaales centre in Lodwar on Friday.
The governor said the funding seeks to expand access to finances in promotion of youth, women, PWDs businesses and enterprises at the county level for economic growth.
“This access to capital empowers them to implement business ideas as a means of self-employment to improve their livelihoods,” he added.
He said the socio-economic empowerment of youth, women and PWDs groups is one of the key agendas for his government in addition to other similar initiatives such as the Biashara Fund and the Cooperative Development Fund.
The governor said the County Government will strengthen partnership with the private sector and NGOs to build the capacity of MSMEs, provide growth and innovation support as well as carry out sensitization drives to create awareness and change attitudes towards loans to increase uptake.
Other leaders present during the occasion were deputy governor Peter Lotethiro, Turkana North member of parliament Christopher Nakuleu and the County executive committee member for finance Namuar Emathe among others.
By Peter Gitonga
