Kindiki steps up countrywide economic empowerment initiatives

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has stepped up the economic empowerment programme with a promise to support thousands of small and medium enterprises to grow and generate more income.

The DP on Thursday, May 29, 2025, graced the Empowerment Forum for Micro and Small Enterprises Saccos at Nyanturago Sports Ground in Nyaribari Chache Constituency, Kisii County, assuring small-scale businesspeople of total government backing in ensuring their growth and success as he explained what the administration is doing in the sector.  

"The activities we are doing as leaders to empower small-scale traders are meant to complement programs within government that seek to achieve a similar agenda,” he revealed.

Programmes like National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (Nyota) and Kenya Jobs and Economic Transformation (KJET) are meant to empower Kenyans economically.The empowerment initiatives spearheaded by the Deputy President seek to expand the assets of small-scale traders, women, and youth groups as the Kenya Kwanza Administration accelerates full realisation of the Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).“We are going over and above by complementing them with the other empowerment activities we are undertaking as leaders," DP added.DP Kindiki said the bottom-up economic transformation agenda entails continuous empowerment of the Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), which hold the key to Kenya’s economic transformation from the bottom upwards.

He cited Nyota and KJET, which are being finalised in readiness for roll-out, as the key cogs in the realization of this agenda

“To revitalise MSEs, the government is implementing several programs like Nyota and KJET,” he stated. Support for MSEs remains a priority to ensure their expansion and sustainability assurance.

The DP maintained that it would be impossible to achieve inclusive prosperity unless concerted efforts are made to bring on board everyone, especially the sectors that form the base of the economic pyramid."The national government is working for all Kenyans regardless of how they voted.

Those who used to advocate for national government development to follow voting patterns should know that it is not constitutional," said Kindiki.

The DP also elaborated on steps being taken by the government to support agriculture by subsidizing farm inputs like fertiliser, mentioning the impacts already attained, like the improvement of tea, coffee, and milk prices. 

"We are committed to ensuring that farmers in the dairy sector get adequate returns on investment by getting better milk prices because agriculture remains the backbone of the economy, and proper emphasis must be made on it,” DP added. 

On leadership, the DP pleaded with leaders to avoid political rhetoric and instead put more energy into reducing the cost of living, accelerating electricity connectivity, expanding road networks, supporting small-scale traders, and every other agenda that may improve the lives of Kenyans.