<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif"><span style="color:black">By Emilly Owiti. August 7, 2022</span></span></span></i></span></span></span></p>

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<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif"><span style="color:black">The WEE Hub has kick-stared the baseline study and partnership engagement it’s recently launched Women’s Business Incubation Project.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

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<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif"><span style="color:black">This follows the launch of the program that has enlisted over 600 individual women’s enterprises and over 20 business collectives to benefit under the incubation project.&nbsp; The data collection exercise began last week and shall provide a baseline from which the women’s businesses will be monitored for indicators set to measure the project impact.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

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<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif"><span style="color:black">The Hub also held talks and technical sessions in a bid to secure strategic partnerships with government agencies that have expertise in the incubation of MSMEs as well as other stakeholders such as banks and the private sector. “These partnerships are critical to the success of the project” Said Prof. Wanjiku Kabira the WEE Hub leader during one of the partnership meetings.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif"><span style="color:black">&nbsp;Some of the partners engaged include Kenya Industrial estates, an institution that provides SME support in business incubation including business advisory services and SME credit among other support services. The Hub also engaged the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institution (KIRDI) during a technical session where the BIAWE incubation project was unpacked. The BIAWE project is a success&nbsp; story in the business incubation sphere and is a great starting point from where critical lessons can be learnt” Dr. Mbithi, WEE Hub Director Research stated.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

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<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif"><span style="color:black"><img src="data:image/jpeg;base64,[encoded data, 130832 characters]" style="width:301px; height:201px" /></span></span></span>&nbsp;<span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif"><span style="color:black"><img src="data:image/jpeg;base64,[encoded data, 156088 characters]" style="width:305px; height:203px" /></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif"><span style="color:black"><img src="data:image/jpeg;base64,[encoded data, 153500 characters]" style="width:306px; height:204px" />&nbsp;<img src="data:image/jpeg;base64,[encoded data, 79792 characters]