More than 150 businesses from Kenya’s Greater Western region convened at Kisumu’s Mamboleo Stadium for the 10th edition of the Grow with Safaricom Business Forum, a platform aimed at equipping small and medium-sized enterprises with skills to navigate the business landscape.

The event, held under the wider umbrella of the M-Pesa Sokoni Festival, marks the second time the forum has been hosted in the region, following an earlier edition in November 2024.

The initiative continues to position itself as a training ground for entrepreneurs seeking resilience and longevity in an increasingly competitive economy.

Among the entrepreneurs who attended was, Michael Otieno, the founder of Takawiri Craft, a social enterprise that transforms water hyacinth into handmade paper products, was among the entrepreneurs who took part.

He explained the impact of such a forum on his environmentally conscious business model.

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“I work with fishermen along the shores of Lake Victoria to collect and transport the hyacinth to the workshop where we convert the weed into pulp to make paper," Otieno stated.

"We then produce book covers, notebooks, cards, envelopes, among other products. I, however, need to make my business more tenable."

The forum’s principal objective is to foster growth and sustainability among micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) by providing them with practical tools and knowledge for modern-day challenges.

Safaricom, the organiser behind the initiative through its enterprise arm, continues to push for a strategic approach to supporting Kenyan SMEs.

While highlighting the company’s broader vision for the continent, its acting Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Frankline Okata, explained the four pillars that guide their support for businesses.

“At Safaricom Business, we support businesses through four key pillars—Connect, Enable, Protect, and Transform—in line with Safaricom’s vision to be Africa’s Leading Purpose-led technology company by 2030,” Okata stated.

"Through the Grow with Safaricom Business forum, we are enabling and transforming businesses across the country. We believe that the forum will enable MSMEs to sustainably accelerate their growth."

The Grow with Safaricom programme, launched in March 2024, has since reached over 1,200 enterprises through physical forums in regions including Nairobi, the Coast, Mt. Kenya, the Rift Valley, and now twice in the Greater Western region.

With rising interest and participation from business owners across the country, the initiative appears to be carving a role not only as a catalyst for economic empowerment, but also as a meeting point for innovation, collaboration and knowledge-sharing in Kenya’s MSME sector.