Small Business Owners Benefit from a Hearing Conservation Programme in Machakos, Kenya

Hearing Conservation Programme targeting the Micro and Small Industrial workers (Jua Kali Artisans) goes to Machakos County 20th to 24th May 2013 at Grogon area, Masaku Jua Kali Association The Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA) in collaboration with the Kenya National Federation of Jua Kali associations (KNFJKA) has partnered with Nairobi Ear Nose and Throat doctors to oversee the hearing conservation programme aimed at improving the lives of potential retirees and workers within the Jua Kali sector The programme will sensitize the Jua Kali metal workers on hearing conservation, ear cleaning services and provision of hearing aids for use within their working environment. Jua Kali workers are a risk of noise induced hearing loss resulting from exposure to excessive noise at their work places. Furthermore, these workers are largely ignorant of the potential damage to hearing that can occur from excessive noise. They then retire into misery with damaged hearing leading to difficulty in communication and most likely do not have a pension plan. The RBA will carry out this project and also sensitize the 1000 Jua Kali workers on the need to save for their retirement through various channels. This will include the MBAO PENSION PLAN which is affordable and remitted using the MPESA platform. This is the fifth ENT clinic after Kamukunji, Kisumu, Mombasa and Kakamega The opening ceremony for the above clinic was performed on behalf of the Governor of Machakos by the Machakos County Minister for Transport, Roads, Public Works and Housing Mr. George Kioko Luka in the presence of the CEO of the Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA) Dr. Odundo, the Federations CEO Mr. Richard Muteti and other invited guests.

Kenyan nominated to head UN trade agency

Kenyan national Mukhisa Kituyi has been nominated by UN boss Ban Ki-moon to head the United Nations' principal trade organ. The nomination of Mr Kituyi as the secretary-general of the 194-member United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is subject to confirmation by the UN General Assembly. If confirmed, the former Commerce and Industry minister and Kenyan parliamentarian will replace Thai national Supachai Panitchpakdi, whose four-year term ends on August 31, a UN statement said. Mr Supachai took office on September 1, 2005 and was reappointed to the Geneva-headquartered agency in 2009.

The 1st COMESA Business Council SME Associations Workshop ends successfully in Cairo, Egypt- “Towards advocacy on Constraints to SMEs in the region” covering 19 countries

During the 1st CBC SME Associations Workshop held on 23- 24 April, 2013 in Cairo, Egypt, the National SME Associations and Stakeholders from the COMESA Region met and deliberated on key issues affecting the SME Sector in the region. The discussions led to Common Regional Positions by 12 out 19 SME Associations representing the Region. The positions will be presented through the COMESA Business Council to the various policy organs as recommendations to improve the business environment of SMEs in COMESA. The meeting brought together key private sector representative bodies and stakeholders of the SMEs in the region, to deliberate on key issues that have been raised during the 8th COMESA Business Forum, held last year in Kampala, Uganda, that are to feed into a proposed regional policy strategy framework for SMEs in COMESA. During the two day event, issues such as financial accessibility, preferential treatment to SMEs in public procurement, capacity building, productivity and standardization of products, encouraging indigenous trade, and branding of COMESA products, were deliberated on. The meeting concluded with a common position from the SME Community which was presented at the High Level 8th Pan African Congress for Women Entrepreneurs and SMEs, which was officially opened by Her Excellency, Dr. Zuma, the First Lady of South Africa and Chairperson of the African Union Commission in the presence of SME stakeholders from both the public and Private Sector, Ministers, respective governments and industry from over 20 countries, It is in this spirit that the SME Sector stakeholders have pledged to ensure further advocacy at the national and regional level. During the Congress, Mr. Richard Muteti from Kenya presented the SME Handbook to Dr. Amany Asfour, the President of Women Entrepreneurs of Africa and Vice Chair of the COMESA Business Council The above meeting was followed by a ballot voting process where Mr. Richard N. Muteti from the MSE Sector in Kenya was unanimously elected as the Chairman of the COMESA SMEs advocacy workgroup while Madam Penny C. Belmont the CEO of Seychelles Small Enterprise Promotion Agency was elected as the Vice Chairperson.

SMES- East Africa Viewership grows to over 26,000

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1st, COMESA Business Council SME Associations Consultative Workshop-Cairo, Egypt 22nd to 24th April 2013

the 1st, COMESA Business Council SME Associations Consultative Workshop- theme- “ Towards Advocacy on Constraints to SMEs in the region “ will be held alongside the 8th African Congress for SMEs and Women Entrepreneurs and International Trade Fair, “ Economic Empowerment and support of MSMEs to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) And the Post 2015 Development Agenda”, the meeting is aimed at opening a regional platform of advocacy on SME constraints in terms of facilitating common positions that can be inputted into various policy organ meetings as the voice of the SMEs in the region. In this regard, the 1st CBC consultative workshop for SME Associations is to be held in Cairo, Egypt from the 22nd – 24th April, 2013. The meeting will also review a policy strategic framework to accelerate competitiveness of SMEs in the region, and also discuss the industry’s need to form a regional SME Association in the region EBWA is sponsoring one free booth per SME Association, to promote the products of the Industry at a Pan African Level

A MICRO AND SMALL ENTERPRISE AUTHORITY IS ESTABLISHED IN KENYA.

The government of Kenya has established the Micro and Small Enterprise Authority (MSE Auhority) that is aimed at mainstreaming the small businesses in Kenya. The creation of the Authority comes after more than 12 years of intense advocacy and Lobbying by various stakeholders led by Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) and the Micro and Small Enterprises Business member organizations in Kenya. Mr. Patrick Mwangi was appointed the acting CEO to the Authority whose mandate is to oversee the implementation of the Micro and Small Enterprises Act which became law in January 2013. Among the members of the Board of the Authority is Mr. Richard N. Muteti. Mr. Muteti serves the Micro and Small Enterprises sector in various capacities both within Kenya and the East African Community in general. Mr. Muteti is the Chief Executive officer of the Kenya National Federation of Jua Kali Associations (KNFJA), an umbrella association of primary small businesses associations across the country. Mr. Muteti is also founder and Director of the Small and Medium Enterprise Support, East Africa (SMES-EA) an institution that works in partnership with individual and small business membership associations in Kenya and the East African region to facilitate their access to critical inputs needed for their development. In 2008, he was Appointed the Regional Project Manager for the East Africa Community (EAC) Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi Exhibitions, an initiative of the five East African Partner States (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi) which has been carrying out marketing initiatives for the MSE sector products and services through regional exhibitions that bring together small business owners from the five countries on an annual rotational basis. He sits as a member of the Presidential Private Sector Working Forum in Kenya. Mr. Richard Muteti received a Head of State Commendation (HSC) Awarded by His Excellency the President of the republic of Kenya for distinguished service to the society on 12th December 2009 Mr. Muteti joins as a member of the Board in the MSE Authority because of his vast practical experiences in the MSE Sector.

Private Sector Leaders Meet the President Elect in Kenya

On March 13th 2013, the president-elect of Kenya, Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy requested to meet the private sector leaders under the flagship of KEPSA. The meetings aim was to introduce the office of the president-elect and highlight what they have envisioned for businesses. The overarching discussion was how to improve the public-private partnership working mechanism that has been in existence and how to make sure that the economy attains its GDP growth of 10% from the current 4.5%. KEPSA took the opportunity to present NBA 2 which is the agenda for business after a successful engagement with Government on NBA 1 for the last 5 years. Carole Kariuki, KEPSA CEO begun by introducing the KEPSA officials who represent the various sectors of the economy. She also asked the president-elect and his deputy to continue engaging with KEPSA as they have done in the past during their different designations in cabinet positions. She highlighted the need to continue the engagement they had started under the Public Private Dialogue (PPD) structure. She noted that this engagement will enhance an enabling business environment for the next 5 years.