Winners of the just concluded Micro, Small scale and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) exhibition from Uasin Gishu will be sponsored to exhibit their products in Arusha, Tanzania in December.
The winners will jointly be sponsored by the county government of Uasin Gishu and telecommunications service provider, Safaricom.
Safaricom’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Peter Ndegwa attended the exhibitions at Zion Mall grounds and said Safaricom was passionate about supporting MSME’s to grow.
The creativity and innovativeness of our youth can be converted and packaged into viable products that can compete in the market, and if well nurtured some of the MSME’s can develop and become manufacturing industries that will create the much-needed employment for the youth in the country.
“Safaricom is investing in MSMEs because it wants to be a purpose-led Technology Company with an aim of combining innovation and technology to transform lives across the country,” said the CEO.
Ndegwa said he was delighted to announce that Safaricom will sponsor the winners of exhibition to represent Kenya at the East Africa Juakali Nguvu Kazi exhibition to be held in Arusha Tanzania from December 2nd to 10th with more than 2000 exhibitors from East African Countries expected to showcase their innovations.
The Juakali Nguvu Kazi exhibition is a platform that accords entrepreneurs and innovators an opportunity to showcase their products hence sourcing for market and capacity building.
Data from Microsave Consulting indicate that MSMEs play a crucial role in the growth of the Kenyan economy as the sector employs close to 15 million people, majority being the youth.
The data further shows that due to the Covid-19 pandemic there had been an increase in the use of digital spaces in marketing and electronic banking for customer transactions.
In his remarks Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago said the partnership will allow innovators in the MSME sector to showcase their products to a larger audience thus increasing their chances of successfully venturing into the East African market.
Mandago underscored the importance of the exhibition in exposing local products to the international markets.
“For those who will be selected to represent the county in Tanzania, kindly take that opportunity seriously as it is a platform to showcase what is produced in this county,” he said.
By Brian Kipkenei and Kiptanui Cherono
