In the wake of the destruction caused by last year’s anti-Finance Bill protests and the recent June 25 demonstrations, the government has launched a comprehensive plan to support small businesses in recovery and long-term resilience.
On Thursday, June 26, Principal Secretary in the State Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Susan Mang’eni, shared a seven-step plan to revive and guard the sector against harm.
As a first move, the government will send out a team to assess and list all hit shops and speed up the renewal of business permits and licenses. This move will make sure these shops can start again and get steady fast.
To further cushion the sector, the State will team up with insurance firms to make claim times shorter and teach MSMEs about the need to have insurance. County governments will also offer temporary relocation assistance to help affected businesses resume activity in safer environments.
Mang’eni revealed that the government is considering the creation of a riot risk response mechanism to offer structured support during future crises.
“This would assist in managing such situations and support recovery in the future to take care of political and climate disaster-related emergencies,” she said.
To reduce vulnerability to theft and cash losses during protests, the State will promote the adoption of digital payment systems across MSMEs. A push for no-cash buying will help small businesses keep their money safer.
Also, they plan to grow online selling spots, giving small shops steady links to buyers even when normal ways are cut.
With country losing an estimated Ksh 3 billion daily, which mostly hurt small businesses, the government expects these steps will bring things back to normal and build long-term resilience across the MSME sector.
