Best practices, success stories from Kericho County

1. Naomi Rono

Noami is the chairlady of the Youth Bunge Sacco Kericho branch. The SACCO started in 2012. Pioneer (first)  lady in rift valley to lead a youthful SACCO. Initially the group used to meet every Saturday to make contributions. They learnt record keeping and put in place systems and structures for smooth operations. Through the support of Yes Youth Can programme through USAID support the group got support for capitalization. The group further got trainings on getting products through environmental scan and youth financing products. This incubation and business modelling has worked for the group.

In 2013, the group disbursed first batch of loans to six (6) members worth Kenya shilings185, 000 and suing a multiplier of 3, the loan interest was pegged at 12% Pa.

The initial challenges was managing the SACCO, thus acquiring managerial skills, entrepreneurial skills, capitalization and collaterals in the case of loans.

Some of the lessons learnt include:

• Developing the cooperative movement and entrepreneurship for women. This has seen the group give out 73 motorcycles known as “ boda boda” worth 7 million shillings to young persons to improve livelihoods,
• Through the UK based Youth Balloon Kenya program UK volunteers train in country entrepreneurs on business design, loan repayment models and good business idea development. This enhances skills, knowledge and technical know-how and transfer of much need capacity through skills.
• The SACCO has transformed mind sets toward Self-employment
• 19 million has been disbursed through the SACCO hence creating new opportunities and capitalization for small business entrepreneurs
• Women have demonstrated a 100% loan repayment (Zero default), a good success story on how women are not only good managers of resources but keen on developing from small to medium size business entities within the county.

2. Joyce Tonui

Reverend Joyce Tonui is the First women to head Africa Gospel Church in south rift valley region. She was ordained senior pastor and has served a congregation of over 2,500 per every Sunday for the last five years. She is also a Director at Kabianga Tea Factory representing community, she is the chair Chepkoin Girls High school sitting at the Board of Management (BOM), she also sits on a Trust that gives scholarships to girls. Some of the challenges she has faced include the struggle for women to be ordained in religious institutions. Labelling of women and stereotyping is common with languages such as “ Is there no man, that they can put in this big church”. Lastly culture that perceives women as children is discriminatory for women. She is nicknamed “Man of God”. One of the key lessons is that language is used to discredit or discourage aspiring women to leadership; women need to be steadfast and remain assertive in their quest for space and voice in society. A second lesson is derived from personal attitude, to remain humble and gentle, slowly learning the ropes of leadership as you get accepted in society for your abilities. It is necessary to get support of your family and friends, parents and spouses alike. She has learnt never to cry in the boardroom, but rather remain resilient. In her accounts she avers that one more good lesson is to share information with other women, encouraging them to soldier on , in this fashion women empowerment will take root. She reiterated that education is key for the empowerment of girl child. She confirmed that the County leadership is ready to mentor and help women, youth and disabled to become, to realise their dreams.

3. Becky Koskey

She is a road contractor. She has built the best road link in the county. She is a testimony that the fruits of devolution are nigh and ripe and can be felt both in urban and rural areas. She is a beneficiary of the 30% preferential policy on public procurement. She emphasised that during such meetings all local languages should be used so that women who did not have an opportunity to go to school can understand and contribute to development debates. She affirmed that County Governments are today utilizing locally available skills in creating job. This has increased accountability through open tendering processes.

The benefits that have accrued under devolution to communities include:

• Opening up of roads that hitherto since independence were only paths and existed only on paper, yet transportation was hampered,
• Improved infrastructure including schools, hospitals have been developed,

Some of the challenges she has faced include:

• Challenges of adopting and integrating E-Procurement (IFMIS) system to business contracting
• Natural calamities such as bad weather
• Local politics in development
• Need for increased public participation in deciding on development priorities

In conclusion, Mrs. Becky Koskey reiterated the need for open, transparent tendering processes to enhance accountability and fast tracking development.

4. Hellen Chelembo

Hellen is a small scale business women who sell groceries outside a known supermarket in Kericho. She lauds the support of the County administration for allowing her business without interferences. Despite her disability, she makes 30 kilometres to and from home to her place of business every day. Through the support of County Government, today her business has taken her children to school, her live has changed for better. She encourages other women in her osition not to give up but seek support of the County Government and they will too succeed.