Small scale traders benefit from MSME tenders workshop

More than 500 traders from Tetu Constituency underwent training on how to formalise their businesses in order to get government tenders.

The one-day workshop aimed at empowering traders on financial management, business growth, and management of small enterprises.

Trades who participated in the expo got a chance to address issues that are affecting them, including running their businesses, especially during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tetu MP Geoffrey Wandeto said the workshop aimed to help traders uplift their enterprises after many were affected by the Covid pandemic.

"This is the first expo to happen in the constituency and our aim is to educate traders in the constituency and Nyeri County at large on managing their businesses to make more profit," he said.

"After the corona pandemic, traders faced many challenges and some were forced to close down their businesses due to lack of capital."

Mr Wandeto said small and medium traders would undergo training on how to register their businesses so as to get government tenders since most of them lack the requisite documentation.

"We realised that some of the small and medium enterprises want to participate in government tenders both at the county and national level but they lack the proper documents.

He added that the expo presented an opportunity for traders to interact with various banks that will financially support them.

"Traders have learned financial management and bookkeeping which is a key element in trading, the interaction with various financial institutions will educate them on sources of capital and how they can improve their business," the MP said.

Kenya National Chambers of Commerce and Industry chief executive for Nyeri Chapter Martin Ndirangu said the greatest challenge affecting traders in the county is that many have not formalised their business to become competitive.

"What we have discovered as the chamber of commerce is that many of the traders have not registered their business and not complied with the required standards due to lack of information," he said.