At least 40 entrepreneurs participated in this year’s startup pitching competition in Nanyuki town, Laikipia County.
The E4impact foundation, which is part of the Amaya Triangle Initiative, on Wednesday held its first competition that attracted entrepreneurs and cooperatives from Laikipia, Isiolo, Samburu and Baringo counties.
The contest was motivated by the need to increase the capacity of cooperatives and enterprises to produce safe, affordable and nutrient-dense foods and significantly advance conservation through rangeland management.
The European Union (EU)-funded Kenya Rangelands Ecosystem Services Productivity (RangER) programme partners with the four counties under the Amaya Triangle Initiative.
Amaya aims at adopting a sustainable policy approach towards addressing the common development challenges particularly on insecurity, resource conflicts, food insecurity, environmental issues, drought emergencies, natural resource management and livelihood within the four counties.
Only the top four successful competitors won the Sh500,000 prize to boost their enterprises. They underwent training before making their presentations to a panel of judges.
Tuiyobei Taphtany Dairy Cooperative (Baringo), Ngarua Cereals Cooperative group (Laikipia), Amayan Women group (Isiolo) and Samburu Dairy Cooperatives (Samburu) emerged top four winners respectively.
The finalists included cereal, goat, and dairy milk producers who all included a value-added component in their goods.
Amaya Triangle Initiative chief executive officer Albert Lemasulani, who attended the event, said: “We all have a part to play. The EU AMAYA RangER program is unique in the sense that it has brought about civil society groups and county governments to achieve its main objective which is peace and improve livelihoods in the four Amaya counties”.
“The finalists, judges, and participants engaged in a demanding discussion before the judges withdrew to select the four winners that were announced. These winners would receive cash awards, all of which would be applied to a specific business need,” he added.
The programme seeks to adopt an integrated landscape approach in the four arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) counties to strengthen peace through a three-pronged approach, as part of the Amaya Ranger project.
Other partners who organized the competition included the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT), World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and Community Safety Initiative (CSI).
Amaya was formed in the aftermath of invasion of private ranches and attacks that led to the killing people and wanton destruction of property within the four counties.
After the 2017 General Election, former Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi mobilized the region governors, senators and MCAs to form the bloc as a response to the insecurity that characterized the region which slowed down its development.
This was to be achieved by having the county governments implement targeted projects such as water, infrastructure and education sectors simultaneously to minimize resource-based conflicts.
