Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

The Kisumu county government has unveiled a business idea generation competition programme seeking to revolutionise the livelihoods of young people.

Dubbed ‘Plug Mtaani-Vijana 2Invest, the initiative aims at building capacity for 200 youths at the county level through training on how to generate feasible and innovative business ideas, develop bankable business plans and create a saving and investment culture.

The program seeks to identify, nurture and sustain the talents of young entrepreneurs to be productive and competitive to be able to create sustainable new jobs.

The 10-year programme being jointly undertaken by various stakeholders comprising Ken Investment Authority, MasterCard, Radico Kenya, Institute of Certified Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB), Trainers and Crescent 360 Media will provide the young businessmen with the requisite soft skills and business plan development training.

Financing benefits

It is also expected to link the youth to financing opportunities, grants and investors as well as foster a spirit of entrepreneurship, innovation, resilience and determination among the youth.

Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o said participants in the competition will come the Blue Economy, Agriculture and agribusiness, Manufacturing and Value Addition sectors.

Other sectors are Information Technology and Digital Services, Renewable energy and Environmental Conservation, Trade, Transport and Logistics, Tourism and hospitality.

He said the business idea generation contest open to youth between ages of 18 to 35, seeks to transform the socio-economic lives of the youth in the county.

Nyong’o said the programme will award the best business case with Sh10 million as start-up capital with first and second runners up getting Sh5 million and Sh2 million respectively at the national level. “At the end of this competition my government will also recognise the best performers at the county level.

We shall award the winner and two runners up with Sh50,000, Sh40,000 and Sh30,000 respectively. We will recognise all the 41 qualifiers from the sub counties by awarding them Sh 20,000 each,” he said.

In a speech read on his behalf by his deputy Dr Mathews Owili during the programme’s launch, the governor stressed the need to implement strategies which offer practical solutions to address the unemployment challenges, especially among the youth.