State launches first MSME Opportunity Readiness Index at SalesFest Africa

Kenya has launched the country’s first Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Opportunity Readiness Index (Fursa Index), marking a significant step in efforts for micro and small enterprises to access to real economic opportunities and participate in structured markets.

The index was unveiled on Thursday, March 12 during the SalesFest Africa – Chanuka Jipange Edition.

Developed through the Chanuka Jipange national engagement programme, the index draws insights from more than 10,000 MSMEs across Kenya’s 47 counties. It assesses how ready small businesses are to move beyond informal survival models and plug into organized market systems that enable growth and scalability.

Speaking during the launch, Principal Secretary in the State Department for MSME Development Principal Secretary Susan Auma Mang’eni, welcomed the findings, noting that they come at a crucial moment as the government reviews the national MSME policy framework.

She raised key questions emerging from the discussions around the report, including: How markets can be structured for sectors such as boda boda operators.

Mang’eni said the insights from the Fursa Index could help inform the ongoing policy review, emphasising that effective policy must respond to the real experiences of entrepreneurs.

In her opening remarks, Eunice Maina-Mburu, CEO of 20X Entrepreneur and founder of the Chanuka Jipange movement, described the nationwide journey of engaging entrepreneurs across all 47 counties to understand barriers and opportunities for enterprise growth.

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She said one of the most striking discoveries from the engagements was that many Kenyan entrepreneurs are already working extremely hard but remain trapped in what the report describes as a “transitioning hustle economy,” where effort is high but access to structured markets remains limited.

Behavioural scientist and leadership coach Irene Njoroge highlighted the importance of systems in unlocking economic growth.

Quoting a key insight shared during the session, she noted: “The secret of change is not to push harder, it is to remove friction. Structure removes friction that keeps people stuck. When systems are structured people trust.”

She also identified three common mindsets that often prevent entrepreneurs from entering structured markets: Survival mindset, Blame mindset, and Hustle mindset.

According to Njoroge, overcoming these barriers requires building systems that reward consistency, quality and accountability.

Organisers said the launch of the Fursa Index marks the start of a broader national conversation on building structured opportunity systems capable of enabling Kenyan enterprises to scale, attract investment and compete globally.

The findings are expected to contribute to ongoing policy discussions and guide future efforts aimed at transitioning Kenyan MSMEs from effort-driven survival models into structured participation in formal markets.

By Juma Ndigo

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