The Kilifi county government has spent more than Sh216 million on 1,359 groups that benefitted from the Mbegu Fund aimed at uplifting the standards of living of the locals.
Authorities said this financial year they have received Sh202 million. The money is distributed in the form of interest-free loans.
Already the initiative of Governor Amason Kingi has recorded positive results, as the previous beneficiaries revealed.
On Monday, the governor distributed Sh92 million to 608 groups that had qualified after sending their proposals to the department of trade and tourism.
During the handing over, the county government also launched a three-year strategic plan to boost Mbegu Fund.
Kingi commended the department and those in charge of the Mbegu Fund for doing a wonderful job that enabled them to receive more funds after auditing found no queries.
He said the aim of introducing Mbegu Fund was to support the small business people in the county.
"We did not allocate these funds to help the officers working in the department in form of corruption. The board ensures no funds go missing but they go to the desired people," he said.
He said there are many people out there who are hardworking but lack seed money, so they continue living in poverty.
The governor said there has been evidence from beneficiaries who have testimonies of how their lives have been transformed by Mbegu Fund.
"This is an economic empowerment programme. The good thing is we don't force anyone into any kind of business but that which one is comfortable with," he said.
The advantage of the fund, he said, is that it shall remain even after he exits office.
"Today, we are giving out Sh92 million but at the end of this financial year we shall have disbursed over Sh200 million to the groups that shall have qualified,'' he said.
Such empowerment, he said, will enable residents to educate their children and avoid reliance on donations from MCAs.
Trade and tourism executive Nahida Mohamed said the Mbegu Fund had approved Sh92 million to 608 groups.
Among the beneficiaries are women's groups and youth some of whom ventured into boda boda and tuk-tuk transport business.
Gerald Nzaro from Mnarani ward, a representative of Ufanisi Self-Help Group, said they began in 2012 and they were only five members. He said they first got funding from Hazina Microfinance that supported them with money to transform their lives.
In 2018, their MCA Daniel Kahindi approached their group and advised them to apply for the Mbegu Fund, which they did and bought a boda boda.
Since then, he said, they initiated table banking which used to give loans and by 2020 they managed to save over Sh1 million.
Edited by Henry Makori
