The County Government of Uasin Gishu on Wednesday hosted African Union (AU) and the Danish International Development Agency (Danida) during the launch of a business incubation hub at the Agricultural Mechanization Service (AMS) in Eldoret town.
The hub was set up in a bid to boost farmers by supporting start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) through organizing business pieces of training, coaching clients, and linking clients to financiers, markets, and relevant resources.
According to the Uasin Gishu County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture Samuel Yego, Danida and AU are stakeholders who target to empower youth and women by creating over 7,000 jobs.
The two partners are also seeking to help farmers in the decision-making of their produce by creating market awareness since they can monitor the fluctuating market prices.
On her part, Environment and Water CECM Mary Njogu said her department is committed to supporting stakeholders willing to work with the County in the mitigation and adaptation of climate change.
Uasin Gishu is one of the counties in the North Rift region considered Kenya’s food basket. The majority of farmers plant maize and wheat.
However, there have been efforts to persuade the farmers to venture into high-value crops as a way of improving their livelihoods due to the challenges the cereal sector has faced.
The county, with the support of various development partners, has also been working on involving farmers to adapt to the changing climate.
