First Lady Rachel Ruto has urged women in Embu County to work together, acquire practical skills, and take advantage of economic opportunities to improve their livelihoods and strengthen Kenya’s economy.
Speaking during a women’s empowerment meeting in Embu on Thursday, First Lady Ruto said women had for generations, remained central to families and local economies through farming, trade, household production and small businesses.
She said collective action could enable women to overcome economic barriers and create opportunities that would benefit families and communities.
“Sometimes a movement begins under a tree. Sometimes it begins with a conversation at the market. Sometimes it begins with one woman sending another a message. Come, let us start something together. Joyful women began under a tree in Uasin Gishu County. Today, that small beginning has become a movement across Kenya, and here in Embu, women are proving that when one woman reaches for another, small beginnings can produce extraordinary change,” she said.
Her remarks come against a backdrop of continued efforts to expand women's participation in Kenya's economy. The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics says 71.9 percent of women reported being employed in its latest Women’s Economic Empowerment Index analysis. However, only 52.7 percent reported having financial independence through their own earnings.
The same analysis found that 79 percent of women owned a bank or mobile-money account, while only 40.6 percent reported having saved money. The savings gap was particularly pronounced between urban and rural women, with 50.8 percent of urban women reporting savings compared with 35.3 percent of rural women.
Rachel said access to income, credit, markets and skills was therefore critical to improving women's economic independence.
“A woman with an income is better able to support her family. A woman with access to credit can start or grow a business. And when women come together in groups, no woman has to walk that journey alone,” she said.
Agriculture was a major focus of her address, with the First Lady noting the central role played by women in Embu's farms, markets and households.
Kenya's agricultural sector remains a major source of livelihoods, directly contributing about 24 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product, while about 72 percent of the population derives its livelihood directly or indirectly from the sector, according to the KNBS.
Rachel maintained that investments in markets and agricultural value chains could help women convert their production into sustainable incomes. She cited modern markets as important infrastructure for traders because they can improve access to customers, reduce losses and provide better working conditions.
She also highlighted skills development, citing a five-day training programme conducted by Joyful Women Organisation in partnership with the Embu County Department of Agriculture at the University of Embu.
The training covered climate-smart agriculture, kitchen gardens, nutrition, agroforestry and sustainable household food production.
She further maintained that women in the county were already demonstrating the benefits of group-based economic activities through avocado farming and dairy goat projects.
“This is how transformation grows. A seed becomes a harvest. One woman becomes a heart. One group becomes a movement, and one woman's progress becomes the beginning of another woman's dream,” she said.
She encouraged women who were not members of Joyful Women to join groups where they could learn, save, access opportunities and support one another.
“Do not remain on the sidelines. Join other women who are serving, learning, and growing together. You do not need to begin with much. The most important thing is to begin.”
She also pointed to government financial inclusion programmes as part of efforts to expand access to capital. The Hustler Fund says the informal sector accounts for more than 80 percent of Kenya's workforce and contributes more than 33 percent of GDP, reaffirming the importance of improving access to credit, savings and markets for informal workers.
The Hustler Fund's latest figures show that more than 18.9 million customers have opted into its personal loan facility, with about Sh74.4 billion disbursed.
The support for women should now extend beyond financial assistance to include practical tools that enable them to generate income, with the First Lady announced the distribution of 5,000 coffee seedlings and 5,000 avocado seedlings, 100 market shed umbrellas for small-scale traders, 1,000 mosquito nets and milk cans for dairy farmers.
She also announced household support comprising 1,005 blankets, 40 boxes of soap, 100 mattresses, 300 bags of rice and 260 bags of beans for families in need.
“These are not simple items we are giving out. They are tools for livelihoods, helping families grow, traders prosper, and communities build a more secure future.”
The First Lady called on women to continue working together and invited them to attend the Joyful Women celebrations planned for November in Nairobi.