Conference for budding entrepreneurs starts Tuesday

Dr Kinyanjui Ng’ang’a, an entrepreneur and corporate trainer. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

In Summary

• Dr Kinyanjui Ng’ang’a will conduct a free business conference on Tuesday, March 20, at KICC from 6 pm to 8 pm.

By JAMES KAHONGEH
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Pressures brought about by an unbearably high cost of living have forced thousands of employees to resort to alternative methods of making a livelihood, including moonlighting.

While people have traditionally resigned from their jobs to join other companies, a significant number of them do so to start their own businesses.

But losing one’s hard-earned money in an unsuccessful venture is always a worry for most people.

According to Dr Kinyanjui Ng’ang’a, an entrepreneur and corporate trainer, these dilemmas haven’t changed the ground realities.

Citing examples such as Amazon, Apple, Google, HP and Microsoft, all launched as start-ups, Dr Ng’ang’a says Kenya needs practical entrepreneurial skills to drive the economy. “China’s economy, the second largest in the world, was driven by SMEs,” he adds.

He argues that the disconnect between what is taught in school and the actual business environment is the reason most businesses collapse.

Kenya’s economy has been steadily growing and is now the fastest growing in the region despite massive occasional corporate job loses, according to a Focus Economics report. Oxford Business Group describes Kenya’s economic outlook as ‘robust’.

“The resilience of the Kenyan economy despite the political turbulence last year has been due to the vibrant growth of local small and medium scale enterprises,” says Dr Kinyanjui.

READ: Accelerating the wheels of entrepreneurship in Africa

According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, the unemployment rate now stands at 40 per cent. Furthermore, a British government funded study on unemployment and higher education indicates that a university graduate takes five years to get a job in Kenya.

With 50,000 graduates joining the labour market every year, according to the Commission for University Education, the need for entrepreneurship can never be overstated.

To promote self-employment, Dr Kinjanjui will conduct a free business conference on Tuesday, March 20, at KICC from 6 pm to 8 pm. The theme is “Starting Business without Money”.