About Us

Objectives of CEED

• To develop, co-coordinate and undertake research in entrepreneurship and enterprise development and disseminate research findings.
• To serve as a forum for national, regional and international meetings, conference seminars/workshops, focusing on entrepreneurship and enterprise development.
• To develop, document cases studies and other resource materials particularly on MSMEs for use in the teaching of enterpreneurship and other related business courses.
• To provide consultancy & training services for the stakeholders in entrepreneurship and enterprise development.
• To establish and promote linkages between and within universities, industry, and other stakeholders in relation to entrepreneurship and enterprise development.
• To provide policy advice to government and other stakeholders on issues related to entrepreneurship and enterprise development.
• To provide academic leadership within the School of Business in order to raise the profile of the entrepreneurship programmes and increase academic staff, professional and student participation in its activities.
• To foster the production of high quality research in entrepreneurship and enterprise development through seeking for research grants and other forms of support.
• To foster the exchange of information among entrepreneurship scholars, practicing entrepreneurs and professionals through research, conferences, interdisciplinary exchanges, and similar avenues.
• To promote entrepreneurship efforts within the business community through counseling, forums, seminars, and contributions to public policy.
• To provide opportunities for interactions among students, scholars, and practicing entrepreneurs.

Contemporary and Emerging Issues
The world over, as economic challenges increase in magnitude and complexity, there is a gradual move away from economies that show increasing tendencies of high unemployment levels and increased poverty together with general economic slump to those in which there are obvious characteristics of vibrant economic growth. In such vibrant economies, entrepreneurship and enterprise development have sprung to the forefront as possible factors that enhance economic growth, competitiveness and job creation. With this phenomenon, the supply of entrepreneurial capabilities has also come to be recognized as a critical input in the development process. It has been proved that entrepreneurial activity contributes as much 30% of GDP in economies that have a clearly focused entrepreneurship policy. This has resulted in the recognition that a high level of entrepreneurial activity measured in terms of high business start-up and low business failure rates; strongly contribute to economic growth, which makes a significant and systematic difference in the economies of developing and developed nations.

Today, there is a convergence in the thinking of African governments; Kenya included, that the enterprise sector, particularly the small enterprise is a potential priority area in transforming the economy. Consequently, there is an overwhelming recognition that a high level of entrepreneurial activity strongly contributes to economic growth. Kenya's development scenario has been characterized by the search for solutions to poverty, rampant unemployment and poor health, among others. These challenges have been further complicated by changes in the global environment denoting that Kenya needs to be better able to participate in the world economy by accelerating growth. One of the dominant pproaches used has been the enactment and implementation of different public policies that embody certain ideologies.
National Issues
At the national level, the CEED faces the challenge of ensuring that its courses, research and consultancy projects market driven. In addition it has to devise ways of addressing the millennium development goals (MDGs) and the Kenya's Vision 2030 goals. The former comprise:

• Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
• Achieve universal primary education.
• Promote gender equality and empower women.
• Reduce child mortality.
• Improve maternal healthcare.
• Combat the HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
• Ensure environmental sustainability.
• Develop a global partnership for development.

The Vision 2030 goals focus on the following:

• Tourism.
• Agriculture.
• Wholesale and Retail trade.
• Manufacturing.
• Business process outsourcing (BPO).
• Financial services.

The role of enterprise development in economic development in any economy cannot be over under scored. It is in this view that the Government of Kenya in its policy framework recognizes the role of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME's). The growth of MSMEs is expected to contribute towards the achievement of the Millennium Goals and Kenya's vision 2030 through creation of employment and wealth.

Kenyatta University through CEED intends to play a key role in defining the role of higher institutions of learning in responding to the attainment of Millennium Development Goals (MDG s) and the attainment of Vision 2030

Rationale
The current business environment is one of continuous and unprecedented change. Rapid advances in computer, information, and manufacturing technology, combined with political and economic upheavals around the world have changed the nature of business. Business enterprises now operate in a competitive global marketplace where success is achieved by those who anticipate, innovate, and adapt to changing market conditions and demands results in the ability of enterprises to be responsive, flexible, and creative in all ways.