MMUST in Collaboration with the Project Liam Foundation Drives Youth Empowerment Through Launch of Young Entrepreneurs Business Summit
MMUST in collaboration with the Project Liam Foundation has today, 31st October 2025, launched the Young Entrepreneurs Business Summit. This initiative, steered by Dr. Fred Akama, seeks to empower students with entrepreneurial skills by providing a platform to showcase and refine their business ideas. During the summit, students running businesses and those with innovative business concepts were given an opportunity to pitch their ideas before a panel of experts. The top ten students will each receive a cash award of Kshs. 100,000, while other participants will be linked to the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme, a five-year Government of Kenya initiative designed to support youth enterprise development and innovation.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Solomon Shibairo during a press briefing at the event.
Speaking during the summit, MMUST Vice Chancellor, Prof. Solomon Shibairo, expressed his delight at the initiative, noting that it will ignite the entrepreneurial potential of students and inspire them to become innovative contributors to the nation’s economic growth. He was accompanied by the Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor (Planning, Research and Innovation), Prof. Peter Bukhala.
The Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor (Planning, Research and Innovation), Prof. Peter Bukhala keenly follows the summit presentations.
Commenting on the initiative, Dr. Akama noted that the top students selected for the programme would undergo a four-month incubation process, during which they will be taken through specialized software designed to help them identify, develop, and commercialize their business ideas for long-term sustainability.
Dr. Fred Akama makes his remarks at the event.
He emphasized that success in business requires more than just academic qualifications, adding that this initiative grants students the opportunity to put their skills into practice and transform innovative ideas into viable enterprises.
The panel of experts, comprising Anne Njogu, Ferdinand Omanyala, Sarah Machio, Dr. Ofweneke, and Willis Raburu, took the students through best entrepreneurial practices aimed at equipping them with the knowledge and mindset required to excel in the business world.
A section of the panelists during the event.
The panelists shared insights from their respective fields, encouraging students to embrace innovation, resilience, and professionalism as key drivers of success in today’s competitive economic environment.
Some of the areas discussed included branding, content creation, and business sustainability. The panelists emphasized that a brand is built through resilience and consistency, urging students to remain focused and authentic as they build their entrepreneurial identities.
A section of the summit audience.
The event was successfully organized with the active participation of students led by Norrys Mbotela, Anita Ruth, and Juma Bravine, whose dedication and teamwork contributed greatly to the summit’s success.
The Young Entrepreneurs Business Summit student leadership
The Young Entrepreneurs Business Summit underscores the University’s commitment to producing holistic graduates who are not only academically accomplished but also innovative, job creators, and solution-driven leaders. Similarly, it reflects MMUST’s broader vision of aligning higher education with national development goals by empowering youth to transform ideas into sustainable enterprises that contribute meaningfully to Kenya’s socio-economic growth.
By Linet Owuor
Photos by Shiundu Masafu
