Government Disburse Ksh41 Million to 200 Women Groups in Kilifi

By Robby Ngoba

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

The Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) has disbursed Ksh41.2 million in credit to over 200 women’s groups comprising 1,835 women entrepreneurs across Kilifi County.

Addressing residents during the Women Empowerment Forum at Macwan football ground in Kilifi town, WEF chief executive officer Racheal Musyoki said that for women’s businesses to grow they needed access to affordable financing and reliable support systems.

She stated that the funds would enable the women groups to invest more in agriculture, small enterprises and digital economy, adding that its inline with President William Ruto’s Bottom-Up Economic and Transformation agendas (BETA).

The CEO explained that the women groups would continue undergoing training on how to invest the money to avoid wastage.

“We have our officers at the County level to train these groups. In all the Counties i have visited, I have personal seen a positive response. That is why the government is investing more money in this project,” she said.

According to her the Kilifi disbursement spanned agriculture, dairy, trade, agro-processing among other service sectors.

She urged the County governments to invest in market infrastructure and open AGPO procurement opportunities to women owned businesses.

According to WEF the fund has already disbursed over Ksh28 million in loan to more than 2.8 million women entrepreneurs across all the 290 constituencies nationally since its inception, with loan repayment rates exceeding 95 per cent.

More than two million women have also benefited from WEF entrepreneurship training programmes, covering financial literacy, digital skills, AGPO procurement, value addition, and business management.

Kilifi deputy governor (DG) Flora Chibule on her part, said women remained the foundation of the County’s economy citing agricultural production, and the blue economy sectors as areas where women’s contribution were central.

“Women in kenya make up more than half of all small and micro-enterprise operators. They produce more than 60% of Kenya’s food,” she said.

The DG noted that the County government would continue supporting women-led enterprises especially in the blue economy sector through targeted policy, infrastructure investment so as to improve access to County procurement opportunities.

“You are not waiting for opportunities to come. You are the opportunity and Kilifi is counting on you.”

Women With Integrity Group chairperson Joyce Kitao Willy said her group started with Ksh50,000 loan used for table banking financing members work.

“We have been able to borrow five times and we are currently borrowing sh750,000. Beyond our individual businesses, we heve managed to buy a land which we are planning to build residential houses for the members,” she said.

The chairperson lauded the WEF saying as a group they have been able to establish table banking programmes that has now become central for the group.