By Eddah Waithaka
The national government, in partnership with the World Bank, is rolling out a major economic project directly to farmers’ doorsteps, targeting youth unemployment and boosting Kenya’s export potential.
Principal Secretary for MSME Development, Hon. Susan Auma Mang’eni, announced the groundbreaking initiative during a visit to the Ndumberi Farmers Cooperative Society in Kiambu on Wednesday.
The project falls under the $150 million Kenya Jobs and Economic Transformation (KJET) program.
PS Mang’eni said the government is activating a powerful two-pronged strategy to build competitive agricultural clusters nationwide. The plan combines intensive business training with direct co-investment in machinery for value addition.
“We aggregate various enterprises because a farmer is also an entrepreneur,” said PS Mang’eni. “We build their capacity through skilling and business development support. Then we provide a co-investment opportunity, especially in machinery, to help them enhance their value addition.”
She highlighted the dairy sector at Ndumberi as a prime example. The government aims to double the cooperative’s daily milk production. It will then help the farmers process surplus into powder, yoghurt, or cream for export.
“Kenya is the sixth largest economy in Africa. Under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), we have opportunities to export beyond East Africa to a market of over 300 million people,” the PS stated.
“Our commitment is to address production, double the litres per day, and transform the surplus.”The Principal Secretary directly linked the project to Kenya’s most pressing economic concern: youth unemployment.
“Our greatest concern is the high youth unemployment in Kenya,” she said. “We encourage our young people to look at the opportunities in our various high-growth value chains. When you talk about dairy, we know we have a huge market potential.”
The one-week training program at Ndumberi, delivered by experts from Karatina University, prepares farmers for the next phase. Professor Teresia Kyalo, an Associate in Entrepreneurship, praised the farmers’ enthusiasm.
“We have found a very willing and enthusiastic team,” Prof. Kyalo said. “This initiative will grow MSMEs and graduate them to the next level. We will achieve an economy that absorbs our youth.”
Maina Kamau, Chairman of the Ndumberi Dairy Cooperative Society, expressed profound gratitude for the direct government intervention.
“We thank the government for believing in us and coming to the grassroots to help,” Chairman Kamau said. “This partnership will bear fruit. We will increase our capacity and create more jobs. The sky is the limit.”
The KJET project targets key value chains across all regions of Kenya, including dairy, edible oils, textiles, leather, rice, coffee, tea, and the blue economy.
The government mapped each region’s unique advantages to ensure nationwide impact.PS Mang’eni confirmed the Mbomberi training marks a pilot phase.
The program will advertise a second intake for new clusters across the country by January or February. “This project will help us anchor our manufacturing agenda and stimulate production,” she concluded.
“These farmers are the owners of production. They will see not just milk returns, but the immense social value of creating jobs for our economy.”
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