Principal Secretary for the State Department for MSMEs Development, Hon. Susan Mang'eni speaks during the Nyota Project training in Lamu county./HANDOUT
The government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring economic empowerment reaches even the most remote corners of the country.
The assurance has been confirmed with a high-level visit on Sunday to NYOTA Project Business Training sessions in Lamu West Constituency, deep within the expansive Boni Forest.
The delegation, led by Principal Secretary for the State Department for MSMEs Development, Hon. Susan Mang’eni, inspected ongoing entrepreneurship capacity-building sessions in Kiunga, Mkokoni and Basuba wards.
Participants follow proceedings during the Nyota Project training in Lamu county./HANDOUT
According to the ministry, the visit is part of a deliberate strategy to ensure that youth living in geographically isolated regions are not excluded from national economic empowerment programmes.
Hon. Mang’eni said the NYOTA Project has been specifically designed to overcome access barriers created by distance, terrain and limited infrastructure.
Participants follow proceedings during the Nyota Project training in Lamu county./HANDOUT
She emphasised that the training model guarantees that at least 70 young people per constituency benefit from the programme.
She noted that, “Through partnerships with government agencies, youth in Lamu have an opportunity to tap into value addition, establish cottage industries, and participate effectively in the priority value chains of the region, including the blue economy sector.”
The PS added that the government intends to ensure that enterprise development resources reach all youth, regardless of their location, and that the NYOTA Project continues to bridge long-standing economic inclusion gaps.
He said the focus is not only on helping young people establish enterprises but also on equipping them to build viable, scalable businesses that can create jobs within Lamu’s coastal and hinterland communities.
His sentiments were echoed by Hon. Deko Barisa Bwana, the Member of County Assembly for Basuba Ward, who reaffirmed the government’s resolve to ensure no community is left behind in the rollout of empowerment initiatives.
He noted that the NYOTA Project is already creating new opportunities for young people in remote areas that have historically been underserved
Lamu West is among 17 counties currently undertaking the Business Support Component of the NYOTA Project.
In total, 42,735 trainees across 510 wards were invited to participate in classroom-based business training, in line with the requirement that each ward enrols at least 70 participants.
