The Micro Enterprises Support Programme Trust (MESPT) officially launched its 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, bringing together key stakeholders committed to transforming Kenya’s agricultural and micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) landscape, as the organisation moves to address deepening gaps in credit access, market linkages and climate resilience.
The plan was unveiled at a stakeholder forum in Nairobi, coming at a time when farmers and small businesses continue to grapple with limited access to affordable credit, volatile markets and the growing threat of climate change.
Representing Cabinet Secretary for Co-operatives and MSMEs Development Wycliffe Oparanya, Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA) Chief Executive Officer Henry Rithaa acknowledged MESPT’s practical, results-oriented approach and its alignment with national priorities.
He noted that while MSMEs remain central to Kenya’s economy, they continue to face structural barriers including limited access to finance, markets and climate-related risks.
“MSMEs are the backbone of our economy, but they continue to face structural barriers, particularly access to affordable finance, markets and the increasing risks associated with climate change,” Rithaa said.
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He called for an enabling environment, affordable financing and structured growth pathways for entrepreneurs, pointing to government-backed initiatives such as the National Youth Opportunities Transformation Agenda (NYOTA) and the Kenya Jobs and Economic Transformation (KJET) fund as examples of how entrepreneurs can be supported through financing and capacity building.
Rithaa highlighted the plan’s target disbursement of Ksh 7.2 billion by 2030, support to over 500,000 farmers and the creation of 60,000 jobs, stressing that success must be measured not only in financial investment but in real socio-economic impact.
He further called for deliberate focus on women and youth, as well as stronger public-private collaboration to fully unlock MSME growth.
MESPT Chairman Noah Meely reinforced that development must be equitable to be sustainable, reiterating the goal of reaching 500,000 smallholder farmers by 2030.
He emphasised that strong multi-stakeholder partnerships will be critical to building a resilient agricultural sector.
MESPT CEO Rebecca Amukhoye described agriculture as the backbone of the country and called for collective action to address the systemic barriers that continue to hold the sector back.
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She stressed the importance of attracting and empowering smallholder farmers to scale their enterprises while strengthening last-mile delivery channels, including savings and credit cooperative societies (SACCOs), microfinance institutions and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to ensure support reaches those who need it most.
“This is not just about lending more money. It is about building systems that work for smallholder farmers and MSMEs, systems that understand their realities, reduce their risks and connect them to sustainable markets,” Amukhoye said.
She added that closing existing gaps demands both capacity building and a whole-ecosystem approach, covering sustainable agriculture, farmer formalisation, market access, value addition and digital support.
The strategy also targets strengthening 100 last-mile financial institutions and growing agriculture and green loan portfolios by 10 per cent.
By Benedict Aoya
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