- MSMEs State Department announces partnership with Kasmuel McOure
- Focus is on youth access to economic information and opportunities
- Hustle Fund, NYOTA Project and KIE spaces are key targets.
The State Department for MSMEs Development has unveiled a fresh collaboration with Kasmuel McOure, an ODM Youth League member and youth activist, aimed at strengthening youth participation in government economic programmes.
In a statement released on Thursday, December 18, MSMEs Development Principal Secretary Susan Mang’eni said the partnership is part of efforts to widen the department’s reach by working closely with youth-driven movements.
She noted that many young people miss out on government opportunities due to a lack of information, a gap the collaboration seeks to close.
“To expand the reach and impact of our State Department, we look forward to collaborating with Kasmuel McOure… to ensure that more young people can access timely information, opportunities, and tools that support their economic empowerment,” Mang’eni stated.
According to the PS, the partnership will focus on increasing awareness and uptake of key government initiatives that support youth enterprises and MSMEs.
These include the Hustle Fund, the NYOTA Project, and shared User Spaces under Kenya Industrial Estates (KIE), which are designed to help young entrepreneurs add value, grow their businesses and create sustainable jobs.
The government hopes the collaboration will translate into higher participation by young people in these programmes.
The announcement comes barely a week after McOure launched the Broad-Based Youth Front, a movement aimed at pushing youth issues directly to the government.
Speaking earlier on December 9, McOure said the youth front would not take instructions from politicians who did not participate in the June 2024 protests.
“I will not take direction from any politician who was not with me on the streets last year,” he said, adding that young people had been used for too long without tangible results.
McOure said the Broad-Based Youth Front will work with leaders across the political divide, particularly those in President William Ruto’s administration, since they currently hold public responsibility.
He also revealed plans to engage youth leagues within the broad-based political formation, starting with UDA, to present a unified youth agenda.
At the same time, he warned that the movement would apply pressure on the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports, accusing it of poor performance and neglect of youth needs.
“The youth of this country are treated as an afterthought,” McOure said, vowing to keep pushing until real change is delivered.
