THE INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP DIVISION

This division has the following Units:

1.SMEs Consulting and Training

This includes consulting and training in the following:

a) Understanding the dynamic role of entrepreneurship and small businesses
b) Different forms of businesses
c) Legal framework for business ownership
d) Business Plan Creation
e) Starting up, organizing and managing a small business
f) Financial Planning and Control
g) Forms of Ownership for Small Business
h) Strategic Marketing Planning
i) Promotion and distribution
j) New Product or Service Development
k) Business financing and access to credit
l) Human resource management
m) Monitoring and evaluation

2.Business Development Consulting

This includes consulting and training in the following areas:

a) Project management
b) Development of a business plan
c) Development of institutional policies
d) Strategic planning
e) Monitoring and evaluation
f) Staffing assessment and recruitment
g) Performance audits
h) Resource mobilization
i) Budget & Fiscal Analysis
j) Physical and Cyber Security Solutions
k) Computer, Cloud and Networking Solutions
l) Application, Graphic and Web Design

3. Innovation and creativity consulting training

The consulting and training are in the following areas :

a) The imperative of innovation and creativity
b) The difference between innovation and creativity
c) The significance of creativity and innovation as modern management imperatives and as drivers of success
d) Barriers to creativity and approaches to overcoming them
e) Turning creativity to innovation that benefits the business
f) The complexity of ideas

Innovation Lead – Davies Kevin

Davies’ interest in technology was triggered early in life as he studied in the USA. He returned to Kenya and pursued a degree in Electronic and Computer
Engineering. He distinguished himself even as a student when he was contracted as a Team Leader on various projects such as the manufacture and configuration of Digital Learning Program laptops and tablets, a government initiative to get PCs into every pupil’s hands, where he was in charge of provisioning of over 100,000 devices for students and teachers. He was also involved with the Kenya 2019 Census tablets as a Test and Network Engineer ensuring that the assembly line producing the devices was running smoothly, setting up and maintaining a network to facilitate the installation of content required for the Census such as the maps and software for the actual counting and achieving the full run production in record time with minimum hiccups. He is a founder of Shaeteq, a next generation tech company that seeks to leverage technology to transform Africa. He has managed to grow Shaeteq’s footprint across Africa to five countries and Europe’s Nordic region. His expertise is in the interaction of technology with key facets of life including business, health, family life, entertainment and religion.

His portfolio includes work with health facilities; political leaders and other entities by offering techno-security solutions and digitized platforms for businesses and constituents for ease of communications and enhanced outputs.

His goal in leading the Innovation and Entrepreneurship wing of the organization is to motivate and guide the future generations to impact the world with new game-changing ideas and fuel their passion and desire for a better tomorrow in a sustainable and eco-friendly direction.

Entrepreneurship Lead – Hon. Irene Nyakerario Mayaka, CS

Irene has a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) from the University of Nairobi. She is a certified Public Secretary and has qualifications in Administration and Management from KASNEB. Irene also has qualifications in leadership and management having trained in various institutions including the Women in Leadership Program of the Africa LiberalNetwork and West Minster Foundation for Democracy; the Governance and Local Government Leadership Program of the Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy, ICLD; and participated in the International Visitors’ Leadership Program, IVLP, Washington, USA.

Irene has a vast experience in the Finance and Banking sector spanning over 16 years. She started her work with the Standard Chartered Bank in 2006 as a Direct Sales Executive moving ranks to Senior Direct Sales Executive; she also worked under the Outward-Bound Sales Team. Irene also worked as the Manager, Complaints Management (Kenya) at the Customer Feedback Department; Manager, Service Quality (Kenya) at the Standard Kenya Head Office; and Priority Banking Relationship Manager for the Nyanza Region at the Kisumu Branch. Through her years of work, she has amassed excellent communication, analytical, problemsolving, creative and organizational skills. She also has strong conflict- management and customer-relations skills.

Irene also has vast leadership experience. She is currently serving as a nominated Member of the National Assembly under the ODM Party. She previously served as a nominated MCA for Nyamira County. She is currently serving as the Executive Board Member of the Africa Liberal Network, a network of parties committed to social justice. Irene is a member of the Standard Chartered Marathon’s Volunteer Committee Member; a member of the National Youth Leader’s Movement and also serves in the Executive Committee of the Kenya Young Parliamentarians Association and the Kenya Women Parliamentarians Association. She is an ardent soccer supporter, and serves as patron of Tombe Starlet Women Football Team and as patron of the Nyamira Youth Nest. She also served as the Deputy Manager, Field Operations for the ODM Party Presidential Campaigns at the Presidential Secretariat in the 2022 elections. She was second runners up in a reality TV show on Leadership dubbed “Miss President” that seeks to build the capacity of women for elective politics. She is currently sponsoring a Bill that seeks to mitigate the impact of climate change in Kenya.