Nyanza women not utilising Women Enterprise Fund, ministry says

KISUMU: The Ministry of Devolution and Planning has challenged Nyanza women to venture into businesses using the Women Enterprise Fund (WEF).

The Ministry has decried low uptake of the funds in the region, urging locals to seize the opportunity to better their livelihoods.

Speaking during an event to issue Sh4.4 million to women groups in Kisumu Sunday, WEF Chief Executive Officer Charles Mwirigi urged the beneficiaries not to squander the loans but to invest in income generating activities to fight poverty.

He revealed that a total of Sh742 million has been disbursed to 9000 women groups in the region since the inception of the fund.

In Kisumu County alone, he said a total of 1,684 women groups have benefited from Sh131 million.

• .

  Keep Reading

• 
  Ogolla's last moments in troubled North Rift
• 
  Women Enterprise Fund aims to grow fund to Sh10 billion in five years
• 
  Kirinyaga county increases production of subsidised animal feeds
• 
  Women Enterprise Fund to resume giving loans mid March

"Invest in agribusiness activities such as dairy cattle, local poultry farming, greenhouse and sweet potato farming to fight poverty," he said.

Regretting low number of women groups currently under WEF in the region, Mr Peter Odhengo, an official from the National Treasury, encouraged more women to join the programme.

"We are encouraging women and youths not to be afraid of loans, especially the interest free Government loans because the funds are meant to improve your living standards," Odhengo said.

According to Mr Odhengo, women from the region are yet to fully benefit from the funds due to "unnecessary fear".

"The women fear that their property can be repossessed to repay the loans, making them to shy away. But this is not the situation because this is a very friendly loan which is meant to empower women," he said, urging the women to diversify the use of the funds by investing in green energy.

WEF is a semi-autonomous Government Agency under the Ministry of Devolution and Planning. The Fund was established to promote Gender Equality and Women Empowerment through provision of subsidised loans and other business support services.