Kenya is preparing to conduct a thorough census of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across the country to better understand the sector’s landscape and improve government support.

Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and MSME Development Wycliffe Oparanya revealed this during the inauguration of a national coordinating committee for the upcoming MSME International Trade Fair, slated for November 2025.

Oparanya noted that the last MSME census was carried out in 2016, making it urgent to collect updated information to shape policies and direct resources efficiently.

“We need to carry out a survey to know where these MSMEs are concentrated. Once we know this, we can effectively channel resources and support through our key focus areas,” he said.

The CS pointed out that outdated data has limited the government’s ability to deliver precise assistance in key areas such as financing, market access, digital technology adoption, and climate resilience, which are vital to growing the MSME sector.

He emphasized that MSMEs form a central pillar of Kenya’s economic growth strategy and warned that overlooking the sector’s needs risks increasing economic frustrations.

“We can build roads and infrastructure, but if we do not focus on creating jobs and economic activity through MSMEs, we will still have demonstrations on those same roads,” Oparanya stated.

To help improve access to finance, the government is rolling out a credit guarantee fund designed to reduce lending risks to small businesses, which have traditionally faced challenges securing loans from banks.

Oparanya also stressed the importance of removing trade barriers within the East African Community and leveraging Kenya’s high mobile phone usage to support digital transformation among MSMEs.

The CS highlighted global attention on MSMEs, mentioning that they have become a key priority for the G20 under South Africa’s upcoming presidency.

He shared insights from a recent global MSME ministerial conference held in South Africa, attended by over 40 ministers, where consensus was reached on the critical role of MSMEs in global economic recovery.

He further revealed plans to expand MSME Connect, a platform that brings together government agencies, academia, the private sector, and regulators such as the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). This effort aims to address concerns about KRA’s relationship with small traders and create a more supportive business environment.

“The KRA has often been seen as harassing small businesses. Their presence here today is important as we seek to create a more enabling environment,” Oparanya said.

He urged organisers of the MSME International Trade Fair, set for Nairobi from November 2 to 3, to ensure participation from all relevant government ministries and partner states.

Oparanya encouraged participants to learn from successful MSME policies in countries like India, Brazil, and Germany, where businesses receive quick financing after winning tenders and prompt payments, a situation that contrasts sharply with Kenya, where delays in payments cause many enterprises to fail.

“In Kenya, businesses wait years to be paid, and many collapse in the process. We must fix this,” he noted.

The Principal Secretary in the Ministry, Susan Mang’eni, said the launch lays the foundation for Kenya to host the regional MSME trade fair from November 1 to 10, 2025.

The event will bring together entrepreneurs from across East Africa to trade, network, and showcase innovation.