Baringo County Business and Digital Innovation Summit
PS Hon. Susan Mang'eni took part in the Baringo County Business and Digital Innovation Summit, organized by the county in collaboration with the State Department of ICT and Digital Economy and the Kenya National Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
The summit involved tracking the progress of the last mile digital connectivity, local MSMEs exhibitions, and a town hall meeting with the youth of Baringo to discuss opportunities in the digital space towards job creation.
The youth are our present-day leading natural resources that must be harnessed and put into effective utility to support the growth of our economy. As our population grows younger, the need to prioritize youth empowerment, who form the majority of the population, has become more pressing than ever before.
ICT and the digital economy are key pillars in President Ruto’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), and the government is committed to setting up an additional 100,000 kilometers of digital superhighways across the country over the next five years. This initiative aims to connect close to 8.5 million homes and businesses to increase internet usage and stimulate economic participation.
Together with his counterpart, ICT PS John Tanui, and Members of Parliament from the National Assembly Departmental Committee of ICT, including Hon. Kitur (Nandi Hills), Hon. Kivasu (Mbooni), Hon. Jematia (Women Rep Baringo), and the host MP, Hon. Kandie of Baringo Central, they toured county ICT centers to assess the digital connectivity status.
It was impressive to see the traction at the county ICT center from both the youth and Mama mbogas. This demonstrates the critical role that technology is playing in socio-economic engagements. Already, there are students at the center who have been enrolled in online jobs and are earning while upscaling their skills.
The exhibitions showcased diverse value chains in the county, including cotton, coffee, leather, edible oils, tomatoes, honey, and dairy, pointing to great manufacturing potential in the county.
The Principal Secretary shared opportunities within the MSME sector and our existing programs aimed at promoting manufacturing and value addition towards job and wealth creation. I also called upon the youth to maximize the government interventions and infrastructure, including the Hustler Fund, to enhance their capabilities towards economic participation.
The two years of the Hustler Fund experience so far have justified the increased need for financial inclusion at the bottom of the economic pyramid. During this year’s second anniversary, slated for later this month, the ministry shall be launching an enhanced product to give Hustler Fund beneficiaries who are borrowing and repaying well an opportunity to access enhanced loan limits.
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