dc.description.abstract | After independence,in an attempt to foster economic
growth and development, Kenya opted to lay more emphasis
on the agricultural sector as the main employer, sustainer
and foreign exchange earner. Since then agriculture
has been the dominant sector of the economy. Although
our stress has been on agriculture, given our rapidly
expanding population and the need to cater for these ,
increasing numbers, the ability of the agricultural
sector to create or expand employment opportunities
has been limited. A new strategy, aimed at creating
employment both in urban and rural areas and especially
more so in the secondary towns which are situated in
the rural areas where most of the people live, has
been the encouragement of small-scale industries and
informal sector activities.
This study focuses on industrial and service
small-scale enterprises in Kakamega town. The study
examines inter alia these firms characteristics, in
terms of size, production levels, level of investment,
sources of invested capital, potential for growth and
employment creation. These firms were found to be
experiencing several problems. | en |