Pomp and colour as trade lobby fetes Kenya’s leading women in enterprise

The resilience of Kenya women is finally paying off with many of them now running and owning successful businesses in what could be a game changer in the entrepreneurship spirit of the country.

Their business acumen is becoming unmatched and unstoppable.

Last week, it was a fete of a kind for female game changers in the economic sector, as the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI)) through the Women In Business (WiB) platform garlanded women who have made a positive impact in the business sector. The WiB Award ceremony in its first year drew business owners from various fields that included science, education, politics, construction, arts among others.

WiB Chairperson Mary Muthoni while acknowledging the challenges faced by woman entrepreneurs said Kenyan business women can now get recognised at home. “A business owned by a woman has to work five times harder because they don’t have equal footing and their future is only guaranteed when they get support,” she said.

It was all smiles for the winners who received trophies and certificates for their efforts. “It feels good to be recognised especially in a male dominated industry, there are a times when I felt like giving up but this trophy is an assurance that I should press on,” said Rose Muigai the overall winner in the construction category.

Accessing capital for startups is a challenge faced by every entrepreneur and Rose Kirgoti the winner in the ICT category urged every female business owner to push on and build trust with their network.

Zahra Moi received the Chairmanships Award for her restaurant The Lord Erroll - Gourmet, an honour that recognises a business that has shown promise and made a mark under a woman’s management. Mrs Zahra Moi lauded the organisers for holding an event that encourages women to work harder.

“On behalf of the team at The Lord Erroll, I’d like to thank KNCCI, especially WiB for the esteemed Chairman’s Award. This recognition has motivated us to work harder,” said Zahra while thanking stakeholders. “We couldn’t have come this far without their tremendous support. With humility and gratitude, l say a big thank you to everybody who have and continue to walk with us in this journey.”

WiB serves as a sector under KNCCI whose mandate is to integrate empowerment of women in business and trade from all the 47 counties.

Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Ambassador Amina Mohammed who graced the occasion urged stakeholders not to be afraid in financing female entrepreneurs since majority always gives back to the society once successful.

“Besides contributing 25 per cent of the GDP, 90 per cent of women in business always plough back to their communities, that why they need over 50 per cent of procurement opportunities,” she added.

“In 2016, our economy generated a total of 832,900 jobs of which only 85,600 were in the modern sector while 747,300 were in the informal sector.” Women make up 47.1 per cent of the labour force, and despite this huge percentage, they face limiting challenges in breaking the entrepreneurship glass ceiling.

KNCCI Chairman Kiprono Kittony urged the government to release the Sh80 billion owed to suppliers and called upon KRA to give a moratorium to allow businesses to develop.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Secretary General Dr Mukhisa Kituyi called for more skilled women entrepreneurs.

“Today, you are living in a difficult time as a country. Male egos are getting in the way of realising the national potential because men can know what the other side wants but women can understand what the other side wants,” he said.

cbii@standardmedia.co.ke