The national government has established five industrial centers in Kisumu to support budding entrepreneurs.
Micro and Small Enterprise Authority (MSEA) Assistant Director in charge of Enterprise Development Mr. Fredrick Kaduka said the centers target to incubate startups and at the same time promote the culture of entrepreneurship in the area.
To benefit from the programme, upcoming entrepreneurs will have to register their ventures with the authority in order to be allocated space within the centers.
“To register they will be required to pay Sh2, 100 after which they shall be issued with a certificate which will validate their business as authentic,” he said.
He said the entrepreneurs will be allocated the space free of charge where they will have access to common user machines to further sharpen their skills.
The five centers formerly under the Ministry of Industrialization, he said have been equipped with state-of-the art facilities, electricity, water, toilets and security creating a conducive environment for the startups to thrive.
Through the initiative, he said the registered entrepreneurs stand a better chance to produce unique products which they can patent.
He added that MSEA was also supporting SMEs in the area to get their products standardized by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) to ensure that they conform with the set standards locally and internationally.
He called for collaboration between the government agencies and SMEs in the area to eradicate counterfeit goods which are hurting local entrepreneurs.
Kaduka said the government is committed to promoting local products, citing the national and regional exhibitions organized to enhance visibility of Kenyan products.
By Kelsie Dorita
