The government is set to roll out millions of shillings in non-refundable grants to thousands of micro and small businesses across the country in a fresh push to boost entrepreneurship and create jobs.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki said the Kenya Jobs for Economic Transformation (KJET) programme is ready for launch in the coming weeks, with the first beneficiaries set to receive financial support through a matching-grant model.
Prof Kindiki said the first phase will target businesses seeking capital investment of up to Sh5 million, with the government meeting half of the required investment while the beneficiary raises the other 50 per cent.
“This project will reach many small businesses by supporting them with matching grants. The first beneficiaries are those requiring up to Sh5 million in capital investment.
The business will raise 50 per cent and this project will support them with the other 50 per cent in matching grants because It is not a loan and it is not refundable,” the DP said.
The announcement is expected to provide a major boost to small enterprises, many of which have struggled to access affordable capital to expand their operations, acquire equipment and create employment.
Speaking on Wednesday 9th September 2026, at the Official residence in Karen, Nairobi, Prof Kindiki met Principal Secretaries and heads of agencies responsible for implementing KJET and directed them to expedite preparations for the programme’s rollout.
He said the government had taken time to fine-tune the financing model to ensure it achieves its intended purpose under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
“We are ready and the work needed has been done. We have taken time to fine-tune the model to deliver this support to the people of Kenya,” he said.
The Deputy President said the first phase would be followed by a bigger financing window targeting businesses requiring grants of up to Sh10 million.
He said KJET would focus on businesses across the country, particularly those operating in rural areas where access to financial support has remained limited despite the potential of small enterprises to drive economic growth.
The programme will support enterprises operating along key value chains, including dairy, textile, coffee, tea, rice, leather, blue economy and mining.
“KJET is going to support thousands of businesses across the country. This project will boost many micro and small-scale businesses by supporting them with matching grants,” Prof Kindiki noted.
The government hopes the initiative will help enterprises increase production, create employment and improve incomes for millions of Kenyans who depend on small businesses for their livelihoods.
Prof Kindiki said the government was determined to ensure the programme benefits deserving businesses regardless of their geographical location.
He directed officials overseeing KJET to draw lessons from the recently disbursed National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) funds to ensure the new programme reaches beneficiaries across the country.
“We will make sure that every part of Kenya is reached. I have directed that, like NYOTA, the business support component which we are about to roll out must reach every ward, every constituency and every county,” he said.
The DP said other components of KJET, including support for businesses to acquire common-user equipment for value addition, were also being finalised.
He said the equipment would enable small businesses to increase productivity and participate more effectively in value addition, strengthening Kenya’s industrialisation agenda.
Prof Kindiki maintained that equitable distribution of government resources remained central to the administration’s economic transformation plan.
“This government is convinced that the best way to transform our country is through sharing of national resources fairly, equitably and reaching out to as many beneficiaries as possible in every part of the country,” he said.
The KJET initiative is therefore expected to complement other government programmes targeting entrepreneurs and young people, with the administration seeking to widen access to capital and create opportunities for businesses to grow.
The second in command further said the ultimate goal was to empower micro and small enterprises to increase their incomes and improve the livelihoods of the millions of Kenyans who depend on them.
Kindiki unveils Sh5m grants for small Businesses .
