This archive report was first published on 27 October 2019.
On October 27, 2019, the Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) announced a partnership with the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) to support women running small and medium-sized businesses in standardizing and improving the quality of their products.
As a result of this collaboration, 13,500 beneficiaries trained by WEF have received technical guidance to enhance their products, ensuring they meet industry standards. Once the products are standardized, the women are eligible to apply for certification, for which the fund pays a subsidized rate of Sh5,800.
WEF Chief Executive Charles Mwirigi emphasized the importance of this partnership, stating, “A key mandate for WEF is to provide business support services including linkages for the women entrepreneurs to improve on the quality of their products and access markets.”
Since its inception in 2012, the Women Enterprise Fund has disbursed over Sh150 million to fund beneficiary businesses in the manufacturing and processing sector. This funding has supported various ventures, including food processing, construction materials, and welding.
As the number of SMEs venturing into manufacturing continues to grow, the agency expects the amount of funding to increase significantly.
