Ministry hands over 154 industrial centres to enterprise authority

The Government has handed over the management of 154 industrial development centres, spread across the country, to the Micro and Small Enterprise Authority (MSEA).

The industrial centres were established to provide support to enterprises in various industrial sub-sectors and business development services to start-ups.

This was by providing work space, training and access to capital and markets.

The Ministry of Industrialisation and Enterprise Development said the Constituency Industrial Development Centres will now fall under MSEA, but will work closely with county governments where the centres are located.

“Industrialisation will only happen if we harness the ability of micro and small enterprises in this country,” said Industrialisation Principal Secretary Dr Wilson Songa.

He spoke during the signing and hand over of the agreement to MSEA. “This is the kind of endorsement that the MSEA is coming of age.”

MSEA Chief Executive Patrick Mwangi said the move will up industrial base in the country. “Vision 2030 is a reality if we continue the way we are going,” Mr Mwangi said, adding that county governments have been involved in the setting up of the industrial centres.

The centres were established in the 2009/2010 financial year under the Sh2.5 billion Economic Stimulus Programme to jump-start the economy after stagnation.

The ministry also announced the handing over of more than 60 different categories of machines, equipment and tools worth Sh240 million to the authority to manage in the development of the industrial centres.

The equipment are in four different categories including metal, automobile, carpentry and construction workshops.

These include 166 lathe machines, 1,000 welding machines, 126 air compressors and 26 concrete mixtures.