KAM urges Nakuru County Government to support Women in Manufacturing

Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) has urged the County Government of Nakuru to implement policies that create an enabling environment to increase women’s participation in manufacturing.

This was during the opening ceremony of the Women in Manufacturing (WIM) South Rift Conference, held in Nakuru, geared towards enhancing women’s participation in the country’s economic agenda.

Speaking during the event, Nakuru County Deputy Governor, Dr. Erick Korir appreciated the role of women in driving sustainable economic development and called for increased support.

“As a County, we believe in empowering small and medium enterprises (SMEs), majority of which are women-owned. We continue to develop programs geared towards creating an enabling business environment. The County Government of Nakuru is setting up an investment board that consists of both public and private sectors, to encourage investors to set up businesses in the county. The Board shall also develop development-friendly policies at the county level, to drive our competitiveness.”

KAM CEO, Ms Phyllis Wakiaga, stressed the crucial role played by women industrialists in the economy.

“As an Association, we recognize the importance of women in driving industrial transformation for job creation and inclusive economic growth. This is why we continue to advocate for an inclusive manufacturing sector, through policies and incentives that encourage women to be key players in value and supply chains. We urge Nakuru County Government to develop and implement policies that support the participation of women in industry and other critical sectors of the county’s economy.”

KAM South Rift Chair, Ms Peris Mbuthia, appreciated devolution for bringing services closer to the people, but also expressed concerns over challenges underpinning trade in the Counties.

“Manufacturers in Nakuru County have to pay to supply goods within the sub-counties. We urge the County to implement policies and legislation that provide that once an enterprise has a business permit, then, they will not be required to have the distribution permit to supply goods within the County.”

The WIM South Rift Conference also features the Bankability Workshop to address access to finance and the Mentorship Conference and Exchange Visit to foster capacity building for women in manufacturing.

This conference is part of the next edition of the nation-wide series of events geared towards increasing participation of women in manufacturing. The next conference shall be held in Kitui County.