Kisumu County government has disbursed Sh100 million development fund to women, youth and people living with disabilities.
Governor Jack Ranguma said the fund is aimed at empowering the youth to compete for tenders from the county government.
Ranguma called on beneficiaries to form groups for purposes of accessing the fund.
Speaking during the Jamhuri Day celebrations in Kisumu Town on Saturday, he said the fund will be given to groups at low interests in a bid to boost their businesses.
According to the governor, youth groups had raised concerns over lack of financial muscles to compete for the tenders.
“We come up with the fund after we realised that only a small number of youth were applying for the 30 per cent tenders awarded by law,” he said.
Ranguma said the county government has allocated at least 30 per cent of all jobs and tenders to the youth, women and persons with disability.
The county’s youth department has registered over 70 youth groups with over 80 per cent of the groups managing to get county tenders.
However, most of them have failed to undertake the tenders according to the statistics at the county government records.
Last year, less than 60 per cent of the tenders were taken up by youth groups, forcing the county government to allow other companies to take up the remaining tenders.
Ranguma said the county government has also partnered with KCA University’s Centre for Entrepreneurship and Leadership, and the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry to launch an Entrepreneurship mentorship programme.
He said the ongoing programme is aimed at accelerating economic empowerment and enterprise development through capacity building, in entrepreneurship activities and promotion of agribusiness.
“The programme will benefit more than 7,000 youth, women and people living with disabilities,” said the governor.