Today, KEPSA launched its Investor Readiness Training under the Jiinue Growth Program in the Coast region in Mombasa at the Premium Inn Hotel. The two-day training on the 14th and 15th of August 2024, attracted 67 participants from Mombasa and its environs, including Bamburi, Mtwapa, Shanzu, and Nyali. During this week, The Investor Readiness Training under the Jiinue Growth Program is also happening in other two regions this week; Nairobi and Central (Kiambu) which are among the ten regions the Program is targeting.

Harrison Ngatia, the Chief SME and Enterprise Development Officer from KEPSA, opened the training by emphasizing the importance of empowering local entrepreneurs. "Our goal is to equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary to secure funding and grow your businesses," he stated.

The program will continue to roll out other regions nationwide in the next few months and is expected to reach over 60,000 businesses across the country in the next 2.5 years, broadening its reach to more businesses.

Training Objectives:

• Enhance financial literacy among SMEs by providing in-depth education on finance management, business modeling, and bookkeeping.
• Link entrepreneurs to affordable financing and funding opportunities available in the market.
• Foster valuable connections within the SME industry through networking opportunities.

Why Mombasa:

Mombasa and its surrounding areas have a growing number of entrepreneurs with over 50,000 registered SME’s seeking to expand their businesses. This training aims to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to secure funding to advance and scale their enterprises then link them to the following opportunities:

Access to affordable and accessible financial products to accelerate business growth.
Opportunities to connect, network and access peer to peer learnings from other entrepreneurs and industry enthusiasts.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to support and empower enterprises in the Coast region where over 6,000 business will be supported in the region in the next 2.5 years, in similar investor readiness sessions, business growth support, specialized trainings, mentorships, benchmarking tours and providing continuous assistance to the entrepreneurs to support their growth journey

About Jiinue Growth Program

The program seeks to address the funding gap for young women and young men-owned and led MSMEs by pairing up financial support with well-tailored technical assistance, and a hands-on coordination strategy between various players in the eco-system.

The Program is geared to improve access to short and medium-term finance and build the capacity for youth and women-led/owned Kenyan businesses, with priority provided to sectors with high participation of women and youth entrepreneurs such as agribusiness, manufacturing, artisanal, retail, and trade.

@Mastercard Foundation @4G Capital @DT Global @PBP @GrassrootBusinessFund @Grootskenya @KNCCI