Laikipia Government Providing Business Development Services To Over 1600 MSMEs.
Medium and Small Enterprises in Laikipia county have benefitted from various business development services courtesy of the Laikipia Innovation and Enterprise Development Programme(LIEDP).
Two years since LIEDP became a department, under Chief Officer, Winnie Mwangi, mobilization has been aimed at helping the small firms to become large and self-reliant enterprises.
Confirming the good news, the Chief Officer Winnie Mwangi, termed it as just a step towards handholding more businesses in the county as Laikipia aims at becoming a manufacturing hub.
A total of 1,633 MSMEs have benefitted so far from various types of business development services. In turn, these beneficiaries are supporting 22,137 jobs across the county.
said Ms. Mwangi.
Profit making firms, whether large or small, require interventions for them to survive in a competitive market. The ones in Laikipia benefit directly from the set Programme that has dedicated staff that ensure businesses have met the necessary skill sets, and business legal requirements, to operate and compete at an advantage point.
So far, 322 small and medium enterprises have been provided with working spaces. These are some of the firms that were previously located in very remote areas that hindered their customers' accessibility. The working spaces provided are such that they are where clients may easily find what the business offers.
At the time LIEDP was established, many small firms did not have business plans. This means they ran businesses without a strategy, hence their dismal trading performance. The program has since developed 264 business plans on top of the necessary guidance on how best to keep records of transactions in a business.
Through the enterprise fund, 46 groups and five individuals have been funded to a tune of Ksh. 12,010,000. This has enabled many businesses to remain afloat despite the economic strains that have been occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, 359 businesses have been funded with Ksh. 176, 860, 650 under ESP.
These efforts have not been in vain as 156 made-in-Laikipia products have been certified by KEBS and other national and international bodies. This has seen a total of 724 products manufactured in Laikipia penetrate local and international markets.
Sixty-four business development officers(BDO) have been trained on the rebate programme. Sensitization of Laikipia Manufacturers on power and business rebate programme is ongoing.
