USAID Kuza Heads To Northern Kenya For Investment Conferences
USAID Kuza is set to host a series of investment fora in select Northern Kenya counties to spotlight the transformative shifts taking place in terms of capital mobilization for impact investments in the region.
The events will be held under the theme “Unveiling Opportunities: Redefining Northern Kenya as an Investable Destination”.
The Northern Kenya region, which historically has been characterized by challenges such as limited infrastructure, arid landscapes, and socio-economic disparities, has often been overlooked in discussions about investment and development. However, with collaboration among the private sector, development partners, and public entities, the region has in recent years witnessed significant shifts toward realizing viable, impactful investments.
USAID Kuza will host three county-based investment conferences. The first event, Turkana and West Pokot County Investment Conference, will be in Lodwar, Turkana County on March 21st, which will highlight investment opportunities in the two counties which are home to over 1.5 million Kenyans.
The West Pokot and Turkana County Investment Conference will address advancements in sustainable agriculture and livestock management in Northern Kenya, the role of peace-building efforts for an enabling environment for investment, natural resource management, and measures of climate change and environmental degradation. The conference will also explore financing mechanisms to stimulate economic growth and development in West Pokot and Turkana Counties.
“The primary goal of this event is to showcase the vast investment opportunities available in these underserved areas and to connect potential investors with small businesses and entrepreneurs operating in these regions. By facilitating these connections, USAID Kuza aims to stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and improve the overall quality of life for residents in these communities,” Venny Mayaka, the Deputy Chief of Party for USAID Kuza, says.
“The discussions will aim to challenge outdated perceptions and showcase Northern Kenya as a dynamic investment hub across various sectors. We will be able to unpack the financial opportunities, provide insights into areas of private, public, and development sector players’ collaboration, and bring together key players in the financial sector to empower support self-empowerment among the communities.”
Last year, USAID Kuza announced that over $14 million (Ksh2 billion) had been disbursed by Impact for Northern Kenya Fund (INKF) to support the initiatives in the livestock, energy, climate, and eco-tourism sectors in the region. The Fund provides money to financial institutions for onward lending to SMEs.
The facilitation has benefited over 11,000 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) creating 19,800 jobs in the Arid and Semi-Arid counties of Garissa, Isiolo, Lamu, Mandera, Marsabit, Tana River, Turkana, Samburu, Wajir and West Pokot.
In the coming months, USAID Kuza will host other County Investment Conferences in Isiolo (covering Isiolo, Marsabit and Samburu Counties) and Lamu (covering Garissa, Lamu, Mandera, Tana River and Wajir Counties.)