Kenya Hosts the 19th EAC Jua Kali/ Nguvu Kazi MSMEs Exhibition.

Close to 2000 Small Business Owners from 40 Counties and 5 EAC Partner States attend the 19th EAC Jua Kali MSMEs Exhibition in Eldoret showcasing the various products and services from SMEs and graced by H.E. Deputy President of Kenya Hon. Ruto, Cabinet Secretary for Industrialization and Trade Hon. Munya, H.E Hon. Mandago, Governor of Uasin Gishu County among other dignitaries from the EAC Partner States.

The nine (9) day event (2^nd-10^th December 2018)  was managed by Mr. Richard Muteti the Regional Project Manager of the EAC Jua Kali/ Nguvu Kazi Exhibitions and who also serves the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector in various capacities both within Kenya, East African Community and the COMESA region in general. Muteti is the founder of Small and Medium Enterprise Support, East Africa (SMES-EA) and author of the inaugural “ SME Handbook” series in Kenya.

Secretariat: SMES-EA

RICHARD MUTETI LEADS THE PREPARATIONS OF THE 19TH EAC JUA KALI/NGUVU KAZI EXHIBITION IN ELDORET-UASIN GISHU COUNTY

Preparation for the 19^th Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi Exhibition on Top Gear

The County organizing committee drawn from the County Government of Uasin Gishu which is planning the 19th Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi exhibition on 8^th, November 2018 met with the project manager Mr. Richard Muteti. They briefed him on the level of preparedness they have put in place for the success of the event. The team was joined the next day by The County Minister and the CEO of the Department of Trade and Industry along with representatives from the National Organizing Committee and the CISO Kenya Chapter Secretary General

Speaking in the meeting, Mr. Muteti who is also the Chairman of the COMESA Business Council SMEs Work-Group noted that he was pleased with all the measures placed by the administration terming it as being “on top of the game."

He asked the local committee to synchronize and compare notes with both national and regional organizing committees for the seamless flow of activities.

The East Africa 19th Jua Kali exhibition is expected to commence on 2nd -10th December, at Eldoret Sports Club, Uasin Gishu County where over 1500 artisans are expected to parade their locally made products.

Representatives from the County Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Confederation of Informal Sector Organization (CISO) and other stakeholders were also in attendance.

The project manager added that communication will be made to other Government agencies such as KRA to freely allow free movement of goods and services from all six-member states set to participate in the exhibition.

19^th EAC Jua Kali/ Nguvu Kazi Exhibition Brief

Kenya to Host the 19th EAC Jua Kali /Nguvu Kazi Exhibition 2018

The Republic of Kenya will be hosting the 19^th EAC Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi (MSMEs) Exhibition in December 2018, the event is organize by the East African Community, The Six (6) Partner States of the EAC Community and the East African Confederation of Informal Sector Organizations (EA-CISO)

This event is held annually on rotational basis among East Africa Community (EAC) member states in order to expand and promote cross border trade for Micro and Small Enterprises products and services; and contribute towards the integration of East Africa Community through cultural exchanges during the exhibition

The event aims at enhancing regional integration through promotion of trade activities for the MSME sector products and services at a regional level

The 19^th EAC Expo will be held in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County in Kenya where 1,500 exhibitors drawn from the six EAC Partner States are going to attend

Richard Muteti

Regional Project Manager

EAC Jua Kali/Nguvu Kazi Exhibitions

Richard Muteti, CEO, Kenya National Federation of Jua Kali Associations

Meeting the Vice Chancellor and the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Co-operative University of Kenya

Strengthening the partnerships and linkages between the Small Businesses Sector and the cooperative movement in Kenya-Myriads of opportunities to be harnessed

The Co-operative University of Kenya is a specialized university in a unique niche of the economy sustaining millions of lives in Kenya. The institution has played a key role in setting the co-operative agenda in the nation which has contributed in shaping Kenya’s economy, among the issues discussed were:

Formation of cooperatives

Training members of the MSME associations

Opportunities for incubation, innovation, commercialization of ideas and capacity building among others

MSMEs Partners with TIVETS in Kenya

RICHARD MUTETI CEO Jua Kali Federation viewing Vehicle body building skills in-house
Inspecting the manufacturing of bodies for passenger-carrying vehicles by the Jua Kali sector at Kariobangi
our partnership with the TVETs will benefit through recognition of members prior and on the job learning outcomes through certification of their hard-earned competencies

The African Union Commission begins the process of validating SME Strategy and Master Plan 2017-2021

Nairobi, Kenya – 10 October 2016. The African Union Commission (AUC) began today the process of validating the Small Medium Enterprise (SME) Strategy and Master Plan 2017-2021 during a two-day workshop in Nairobi, Kenya. The objective of the initiative is to develop an African Union strategic framework which will support the implementation of the Accelerated Industrial Development of Africa (AIDA) and Africa’s sustainable economic transformation under Agenda 2063. The workshop was attended by the Senior Industry Officers from the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the Private Sector and Development Partners. AUC and UNECA officials co-chaired the working sessions

The SME Strategy and Master Plan 2017-2021 aims, among others, at improving the continental business environment, increasing business formation, supporting formalization of growth-oriented informal enterprises and startups, increasing SME/Is, MSMEs and entrepreneurs’ participation in regional and global value chains and promoting innovative financing.

Mrs. Treasure Thembisile Maphanga, Director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) of the African Union Commission, commended participants for their continuous commitment in supporting the Department of Trade and Industry to contribute to the sustainable structural transformation of the continent through Industrialization. She praised RECs and Experts from various institutions including the European Union, JICA, Traidlinks, UNCTAD, UNECA and Canadian Government who worked closely with the Commission during the last few months by providing comments and inputs in order to enrich the draft SME Strategy and Master Plan. The Director pointed out that Industrialization has recently become a high priority for more countries and more cooperating partners. She echoed the tragedy that migrants are going through while trying to join Europe and the high rate of youth’s unemployment. According to her, the continent’s industrialization appears to be the winning strategy that will accelerate job creation and poverty alleviation for the coming years in addition to support the continent’s sustainable structural transformation.

Mrs. Maphanga referred to some key statistics about the youth population in Africa to highlight the importance of taking advantage of its full potential. “In 2015, 226 million youth aged 15-24 lived in Africa, accounting for 19 per cent of the global youth population.  By 2030, it is projected that the number of youth in Africa will have increased by 42 per cent. Africa’s youth population is expected to continue to grow throughout the remainder of the 21st century, more than doubling from current levels by 2055”, she emphasized. She urged the audience to deepen its reflections and support productive capacities while discussing the issue of youth and start-ups. To harness the youth’s demographic dividend, which is the 2017 theme of the African Union, the Director for Trade and Industry indicated that research has identified some policy actions related to SME Development as key levers. “According to the findings, economic reforms to create more quality jobs with multiplier effects, enhance innovation and productivity of the informal sector and support graduation from small to medium sized enterprises, as well as transformative education to focus on innovation, skills development, science and technology and entrepreneurship are winning strategies”, she underscored.

The SME Strategy and Master Plan identifies initiatives that should be undertaken in the next five years that are aimed at unleashing the potential of SME/Is and MSMEs - the drivers of African economies’ growth to create employment, reduce poverty and promote by ensuring that women, young people and underserved populations, including those in rural areas, benefit from economic growth.

The EABC was represented by Mr. Richard Muteti the SME focal point

UGANDA HOSTED THE 17TH EAC JUA KALI SMEs EXHIBITION IN KAMPALA, UGANDA

The East African community Jua Kali / Nguvu Kazi exhibition was started in 1999 at Arusha in Tanzania during the signing of the treaty that established the East African Community .It is  a yearly rotational initiative started by the East African community Secretariat In collaboration with the EAC Partner States through the East African Confederation of Informal Sector Organizations (EA-CISO) . the regional exhibition acts as a platform for carrying out marketing initiatives for the Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) products and services which has been branded “JUA KALI /NGUVU KAZI”. This exhibition was the 17^th since its inception

After  the inauguration  of the first regional exhibition  in Arusha (1999), subsequent  exhibitions have been held in Nairobi (2000 and 2001), Kampala (2002), Dar es Salaam (2003) Mombasa (2004), Kampala (2005), Dar es Salaam (2006) ,Nairobi (2007), Kigali (2008), Dar es Salaam (2009), Kampala (2011), Bujumbura (2012), Nairobi (2013) , Kigali (2014), Dar es Salaam (2015) and the 17^th Exhibition in Kampala  in 2016. The exhibition exposes the MSEs to the vast Regional market of over  140 million people and acts as  a platform  availing the Micro and Small Entrepreneurs of East African Region new market for their products and bridging-up the technological gaps between them .

The 17^th EAC Jua Kali/ Nguvu Kazi exhibition was managed by Mr. Richard Muteti who is the Regional Project Manager and it was held at the UMA exhibition grounds in Kampala Uganda from 5th to 11th  DECEMBER, 2016