Kirinyaga: A transformative initiative called Chanuka, Jipange na Business Opportunities is igniting a revolution among Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in Kirinyaga County, empowering entrepreneurs to shift from survival to a progressive approach.

According to Kenya News Agency, the initiative aims to equip stakeholders through training with knowledge on how to identify opportunities while seeking profitable solutions to systematic challenges. Eunice Mburu, an officer with the Chanuka, Jipange na Business Opportunities initiative, emphasized the initiative's goal of activating micro and small enterprises in different counties by ensuring entrepreneurs adopt the right mindset.

"Our dreams and aspirations are that they are able to grow 20 times because it's possible. You'll find a micro enterprise could be making even a thousand shillings per day. How can that 1,000 shillings become 20,000 shillings per day? We train them on how to spot opportunities," Ms. Mburu noted during a training session at ACK-Church Kerugoya.

She added that behind every complaint in society lies a business opportunity, using the example of a banana surplus in Kirinyaga, which could be a venture for creating new products using bananas as raw material. "Where people complain, there lies an opportunity, for example in Kirinyaga surplus of bananas could be processed into flour, chips, or juice, creating value-added products for local and regional markets," she explained.

The initiative also prepares entrepreneurs to align themselves with government policy, specifically the Bottom-Up Transformation Agenda (BETA), which emphasizes agribusiness, health, affordable housing, and market development, encouraging them to find their niche in the value chains. Ms. Mburu highlighted the importance of understanding government policies to tap into opportunities, stating, "This government has BETA Policy and it is important that we ask, what this means for me, how do I tap into these opportunities."

The initiative aims to create a network of thriving MSEs, supported by peer learning and partnerships with the County government. Ms. Mburu challenged participants to be proactive, noting, "For builders, there's Affordable Housing; for health enthusiasts, there's demand for sanitary products. By tapping into these policy-driven opportunities, MSEs can access larger markets and government support, paving the way for sustainable growth."