Youths in Kajiado County are set to benefit from the ‘Plug-in Mtaani Vijana 2 Invest’ initiative that aims at connecting business ideas to opportunities.
The programme, which seeks to unlock the potential of entrepreneurship amongst the younger generation, is designed to nurture talents by providing soft skills and business plan development training.
Speaking during the launch of the programme, Kajiado Deputy Governor Martin Moshisho noted that the programme is designed to identify, nurture, and sustain the talents of young entrepreneurs by giving them a head start in business ventures.
Moshisho urged youth in the county to take advantage of the opportunity and apply for the programme so as to benefit through capacity development, funding opportunities, and networking.
“This is a great opportunity for the youth to explore their innovativeness and entrepreneurship skills, thus enabling them to become self-employed and financially independent,” he said.
The Deputy Governor revealed that the programme was being implemented by the County Department of Trade, Investments, and Enterprise Development in collaboration with the State Department of Commerce, Ken Invest, RADICO Kenya, ICST, and Crescent 360 Limited.
The training and capacity building will be based on the International Labour Organisation Business Management Training Programme, dubbed Start and Improve Your Business (ILO-SIYB), as well as a savings and investment master class.
Youth from Kajiado who wish to participate in the competition are required to record and submit a one-minute video detailing their business idea in five sectors, namely: agriculture and livestock production, environment, climate change, technology, innovation, and culture.
According to Plug in Mtaani Chairman Geoffrey Kilonzo, the winners from the county level will proceed to the national level, where they will go through a 10-day boot camp and then develop 5-minute video pitches.
A team of judges will select and recommend the national award winners, and thereafter, a 12-week public voting period will be opened, culminating in the final award show in December this year.
“Plug in Mtaani will be launched in all 47 counties across the country. The youth with the best idea will win a cash prize of Sh10 million to help kick-start their business,” said Kilonzo.
The first runners-up at the national level will receive Sh. 5 million, while the second runners-up will pocket Sh. 2.5 million.
Kilonzo said the programme is looking for innovation and creativity from youth who can identify gaps within the sectors and innovate around them.
“We are looking for innovation and creativity. Plug-in Mtaani seeks to provide a platform where youth will be guided to become co-creators of employment through partnerships,” he added.
By Rop Janet
