By Dennis Muritu
Juma Mukhwana, Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry, has outlined Kenya’s ambitious strategy to expand its manufacturing sector, targeting a rise from the current 7.6% contribution to the GDP to 15% by 2027 and 20% by 2030.
Speaking at a recent event organized by KIRDI and the QIEP team, with support from the World Bank and the Ministry, Mukhwana emphasized the pivotal role of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in achieving these goals.
“MSMEs are critical to our vision,” Mukhwana remarked. “We’re supporting them through training and equipping graduates to develop products, test the market, and establish a brand.”
He highlighted that training from KIRDI will enable graduates to effectively transition into the industrial workforce, addressing a gap often left by traditional education.
A major focus of this initiative is providing grants rather than loans. Mukhwana announced that 177 young industrialists have received grants ranging from Ksh. 5 million to Ksh. 10 million to purchase machinery, refine their products, and prepare for the market.
“By building an industrialization fund, we aim to ease young entrepreneurs’ entry into the manufacturing sector, with grants that support product development and market testing,” he added.
Further, he revealed recent government efforts, including the Business Laws Amendment Bill, to simplify regulatory hurdles for MSMEs. The Ministry has also taken strides to open international markets for Kenyan products.
“We recently sent 30 containers of MSME products to the FDA, and we’ve signed several trade agreements, including the African Continental Free Trade Area and Kenya-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement, which provides duty-free access for up to 15,000 products across 27 EU countries.”
Mukhwana encouraged Kenyan entrepreneurs to leverage these opportunities, noting the government’s commitment to supporting green and sustainable manufacturing practices. He concluded by announcing the development of county aggregation and industrial parks, with 19 parks expected to be fully equipped by the end of next year.
“We’re creating the infrastructure and support to allow our youth and entrepreneurs to drive Kenya’s industrial future,” he said, urging Kenyans to seize this pivotal moment to develop new products and engage in manufacturing.
