Women in Siaya are set to benefit from a mix of major investments, business support and direct assistance as the government seeks to open up more opportunities for them to earn, trade and build sustainable livelihoods.
First Lady Rachel Ruto said the programme in the county was backed by investments in infrastructure and productive sectors, including planned modern markets, a Sh1 billion blue economy project at Usenge, a Sh100 million fish landing site at Wichlum and expanded electricity connections to thousands of households.
Speaking during a women’s empowerment programme on Tuesday, Rachel said the investments were meant to remove some of the barriers that prevent women from taking part fully in economic activities.
“Here in Siaya, that commitment is reflected in investments such as the planned modern markets, the Sh1 billion blue economy development at Usenge, the Sh100 million fish landing site at Wichlum, and expanded electricity connections to 1000s of households. These investments are opening opportunities for women to trade, produce, invest, and build stronger livelihoods.”
She said the benefits of supporting women extend beyond individual businesses, arguing that women with reliable sources of income are better placed to meet the needs of their families.
“When a woman has a sustainable source of income, she can keep her children in school, provide nutritious food, improve her household, and build a more secure future. When we empower a woman, we strengthen the family. When we strengthen families, we build communities, and when we build communities, we build the nation.”
The programme also included direct support for families facing hardship, with 1,005 blankets, 20 bags of uji mix, 40 boxes of soap, 100 mattresses, 300 bags of rice and 250 bags of beans set to be distributed.
“Today we are extending practical support to families and strengthening livelihoods across here. We are providing 1005 blankets, 20 bags of ujimex, 40 boxes of soap, 100 mattresses, 300 bags of rice and 250 bags of beans to families in need, bringing much-needed women comfort and dignity.”
Women working in the fisheries sector will also receive equipment aimed at helping them improve production, add value to their products and reach more markets.
“As part of our blue economy, we are also equipping women in the fisheries value chain with display units, fryers, prisoner boxes, weight scales, raised rugs, packaging materials, tongs, and tittering knives to improve feeding, value addition, and marketing access.”
The support will also extend to agriculture, with 10,000 fruit seedlings comprising 5,000 mango and 5,000 orange seedlings, as well as 5,000 vegetable seedlings and 50 umbrellas for women traders.
The programme is being implemented alongside the Joyful Women Organisation (JOYWO), which was founded by Rachel and focuses on helping women improve their financial position through table banking, savings and access to affordable credit.
JOYWO currently reports a presence in 44 counties, with more than 250,000 members and about Sh3.9 billion in revolving funds.
The organisation was started in 2009 as a women-focused initiative built around table banking and economic empowerment. By 2019, it had been reported to have more than 200,000 members across all 47 counties and more than 6,000 table-banking groups.
Its activities have since expanded through county-level programmes and livelihood projects targeting women's groups.
In August, Rachel presided over a livestock empowerment programme in Homa Bay, where more than 80 women's groups received support. The wider programme was targeting 2,300 groups across all 47 counties, while more than 1,200 women's groups had also undergone livestock production and management training, according to her office.
Other activities have focused on giving women practical skills to run and grow their businesses.
In Uasin Gishu, more than 1,200 women's groups took part in a five-day programme covering entrepreneurship, business management, formalisation, record keeping, access to government support and access to markets.
Rachel urged women to use such programmes as a stepping stone towards building their own businesses rather than relying only on direct assistance.
“Across Kenya, we are bringing women together to save and invest through table banking, the government is expanding access to affordable credit through programs such as Uwezo Fund, the Women Enterprise Fund, the Hustler Fund, and affirmative action initiatives.”
The government has also reported strong participation by women in some of these programmes.
President William Ruto said in March that women accounted for about 10.1 million of the 21 million Hustler Fund borrowers. He also said 1.4 million women belonging to 53,000 groups had accessed Sh942 million through the Women Enterprise Fund.
In Siaya, Rachel called on women to strengthen their existing groups, save regularly and maintain proper records of their financial transactions.
She said the county had previously performed strongly in the Joyful Women programme and urged women to increase their participation to help Siaya regain its position among the organisation's leading counties.
The First Lady said the wider goal was to give women the savings, skills, financial support and productive assets needed to establish independent sources of income, improve their families' welfare and contribute to stronger communities.