By George Munene
Through the Empowering Novel Agribusiness-Led Employment (ENABLE) Youth Kenyan Program, the Kenyan government is running agricultural entrepreneurship incubation centers to train, nurture, mentor, coach and finance successful youth candidates from across the country
The Government of Kenya and Africa Development Bank-funded project aims to help Kenyan youth farmers bridge the challenge of access to financing and adequate information on farming.
To be eligible the youth must:
- Be a Kenyan citizen with a National ID aged between 18-35
- A Diploma or Bachelor’s Degree holder from a recognized learning institution with a background in any field of study
- Submit a Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) pin number as well as a certificate from an approved Credit Reference Bureau (CRB)
- Have a viable agri-business idea and submit a simple business proposal
- Demonstrate previous interest in agriculture/agribusiness through clubs, associations, personal initiatives, seminars, training on agri-issues etc
- Willing to pursue agriculture as a career
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The incubatees will be classed into two categories:
- Standard Incubatee (Start-Up)
- Unemployed graduate youth (Diploma/ Degree) or be a start-up agripreneur involved in agribusiness for no less than 1½ years
- Have an agribusiness idea that needs to be incubated and funding to actualize
- Incubation period-6-12 months
- Not currently involved in any formal/self-employment
- Not registered for any other academic, incubation, or another development program
- Accelerated Incubatee
- Graduate youth (Diploma/ Degree) owning and running an agribusiness that has been in existence for at least 1½ years but lacking access to credit, market linkages, or better business planning skills to accelerate the business’s growth
- Incubation period-3-6 months
- Not registered for any other academic, incubation, or other development programs
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Applicants will be hothoused in eight Youth Agri-Business Incubation Centers across the country: Kenya School of Agriculture, Nyeri, Dairy Training Institute, Nakuru, Regional Pastoral Training Institute, Narok, National Aquaculture Development Centre, Kirinyaga, Ramogi Institute of Advanced Technology, Kisumu, Pwani University, Kilifi, Kisii University, Kisii, and University of Eldoret, Uasin Gishu.
Application deadline: 27th November, 2020, all applications are online.
To apply: https://enableyouth.kilimo.go.ke/application/
Tel: 0202718870