Women Entrepreneurship in Kenya

National Women s Enterprise Fund was launched in 2006 to benefit women aged above 18 years with the purpose of helping them improve their standard of living through investment in various projects. As a form of microfinance it is intended to reach those in the informal sector and who have problems accessing loans from major commercial banks. However four years down the line limited evidence can be seen to verify if the fund is addressing the specific needs of women entrepreneurs. This study explored influence of the national women enterprise fund on women entrepreneurship in Kisumu East District, Western Kenya, Nyanza province. Specifically the study established the level of awareness and accessibility to the fund, identified strategies used for capacity building and mobilization of the beneficiaries of the fund and their institutions and assessed its influence on the beneficiaries, their households and enterprises. The findings of this study may in addition to contributing to knowledge of the women enterprise fund, benefit policy makers and enhance national micro-finance policy planning for women as a strategy to sustained development.