Influence Of Youth Enterprise Development Fund On The Growth Of Enterprises; A Case Of Youth Enterprises In Butula Constituency, Busia County

Abstract

bulge. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports came up with the Youth Employment Marshal Plan which highlights various initiatives geared towards creating employment opportunities for the Kenyan youth. The Youth Enterprise Development Fund is a key component of this marshal plan. It was established 2007 with the overall purpose of creating employment for the youth of Kenya through enterprise development and was designed to address the challenges of youth run enterprises. Its importance is confirmed by its transformation into a state corporation in the year 2007 and government continued allocation of resources. So far the fund has disbursed over Kshs. 2.8 billion to over 87,000 youth run enterprises and trained over 150,000 young entrepreneurs. The study sought to establish and recommend the kind of relationship that should exist between the Youth Enterprise Development Fund and the Youth Enterprises. This is in view of the fact that various interventions have been employed by the government to curb unemployment among the youth but the situation has remained fairly the same. The research was conducted through descriptive research survey. A total of 150 youth enterprises selected from a target population of 250 youth enterprises that are on the list of beneficiaries at the Youth Enterprise Development Fund for the period spanning 2007-2012 were interviewed and questionnaires administered to them as data collection instruments. The data was then analyzed using percentage distribution techniques and presented in tables and a conclusion drawn from the findings. The findings indicate that the startup loan has enabled the youth, establish enterprises, increase their income and create employment. Entrepreneurship training has enabled the youth operate and manage their enterprises better thus increasing their profits. The researcher recommended that for better results the startup loans should be increased and be made easily accessible by the youth. Entrepreneurship training should be provided continuously to enable the youth operate and manage their enterprises.