Partnerships for Agribusiness Growth; Kilifi Hub Trailblazing

BY DAMARIS OGONJI

On March 10, 2021, KCIC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the County Government of Kilifi to establish Kilifi Business Incubation Hub (BIH) The hub was established to support women and youth led agribusiness enterprises in the Coastal region of Kenya, i e , Mombasa, Kilifi, Tana River, Taita Taveta, Lamu, and Kwale counties

Domiciled at the Mtwapa Agriculture Training Center (ATC), the hub is supporting the entrepreneurs with a range of services including; business consulting, technical support, mentorship, access to capital, access to information, creation of an enabling environment, and access to facilities

The hub has since incubated 248 businesses in the Coastal region, financed 39 enterprises with KES 36 7 Million to operationalize and commercialize their businesses and supported acquisition of over 77 licenses and certificates to enable clients to formalize their business operations The hub has additionally created direct employment for 21 women and youth and supported clients to create approximately 40 direct employment opportunities and support 191 smallholder farmers access markets for their agricultural produce

KCIC’s presence in the Coastal region through Kilifi Hub has additionally paved the way for the creation of partnerships and collaborations with Agriculture and Climate stakeholders

Through these partnerships, the hub has supported their portfolio to; pursue financing opportunities in financial institutions and the county government, access relevant business information and markets for their products through sponsorships to attend seminars, expos and trade fairs, and create mutually beneficial networks Some of the activities and events include the following;

The Agribusiness Expo: An expo held at KALRO Mtwapa, Kilifi organized by East African Grain Council (EAGC), KCIC - Kilifi Hub, KALRO Mtwapa and the County Government of Kilifi The expo was held on 5th October 2022 and was attended by approximately 40 exhibitors and over 100 farmers from the Coastal region

Together for Climate Roundtable: An annual forum that convenes youth, policymakers, private sector, experts and researchers, civil society organizations and other interest groups within the Climate Action ecosystem in Kenya to discuss, exhibit and co-create solutions to humanity's growing threat of climate change The event was held on 14th March 2022 and 11th - 12th May 2023 and was organized by the Governors’ Young Leaders Program in conjunction with KCIC Kilifi Hub alongside NEMA, CISCO, KBC, Stanbic Bank, Baus Taka Enterprise, COMRED, KALRO, WWF etc

Youth in Agribusiness Trade fair: A trade fair for youth in Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries value chains held at Kilifi, Tezo, organized by Kilifi County Government and KCIC Kilifi Hub The expo held on 30th March 2023, was attended by 30 exhibitors inclusive of 8 KCIC clients

JABEIC Conference 2022. The Jumuiya Agribusiness and Blue Economy Investment Conference (JABEIC), an annual conference hosted by the Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani Secretariat (JKP) in collaboration with the six Kenyan Coast Counties. KCIC gave a Keynote address during the forum on 'Innovative Investments & Regenerative Transformation in the Private Sector’ and sponsored 8 clients to access markets for their agricultural produce

4K Clubs: KCIC in collaboration with the County Government's department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives and the Ministry of Education supports five 4K clubs in the Coastal region to rebrand their club This is in addition to enabling the clubs to access inputs they need for projects on Agriculture, Agri-nutrition, Environmental Preservation, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Civic Engagement and Citizenship

Kilifi Hub is planning to have a Coastal Region Agribusiness Expo towards the end of 2023 The hub is looking to partner with both private and public organizations to host the expo in Kilifi County Through the Expo, the hub aims to link agricultural producers with market off takers For additional information on how to participate, contact 0701826827