A participant in the World Bank-funded, KPMG-managed Mbele Na Biz programme for 2018–2019 reached out to Kenyan blogger Cyprian Nyakundi with some very serious concerns about the programmeme’s integrity.
The source reported that they repeatedly trained and assessed her online over a year, promising her funding of up to Ksh 3.6 million for business ideas, only to inform her later that she did not qualify.
Undeterred, she proceeded to start her business using alternative funding sources.
However, she claims that Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), or PSI, conducts ongoing surveillance and surveys, recording her business details every year, including physical inspections.
Recently, a new firm named Remit contacted her for further surveys, requesting detailed business and personal information, which she declined to provide after recording their conversation.
“Hello, Nyakundi. We applied for the World Bank-funded Mbele Na Biz programme in 2018–2019, which KPMG managed. KPMG designed the programme to offer financial support to young individuals with business ideas or businesses, with funding amounts ranging from KSH 900,000 to 3,600,000, subject to a detailed breakdown of startup and operating costs in the proposal.
“After submitting my application, we received continuous online training for approximately a year, initially confirming my eligibility for different levels before ultimately informing me that I didn’t meet the requirements.
“In the end, I focused solely on my business idea and launched it with additional funding.”
“The interesting thing is that they continued to survey me and my business each year through Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA or PSI, whatever the name of the research company is). The survey requires me to provide information about my business, and it also involves them physically visiting my business to take photographs and coordinates.
“Recently, I realised that they might be claiming to have funded me all along, even if the money went to someone else or into their own pockets.”
“Recently, they have been contacting me multiple times about surveys conducted by a different research firm, Remit.
“They insist on the physical location and landmarks near my business, and they want details about it, including my name and ID number. I decided to record one of the phone calls with them.
“This time, I am a little wiser and have refused to share information with them. Here is the recording. Please explain to some of us what funding entails. My proposal clearly outlined Sh3.6 million.”
Another victim of Mbele na Biz reached out and highlighted his plight after unknowingly joining the scam venture.
“The story about the Mbele na Biz issue is true. It appears that I also experienced the same problem. They polled me as recently as June 26, 2024. Given that I had not received any funding, I asked the woman collecting the data about my status as a successful or unsuccessful business.
However, she understood clearly that her role was to manage businesses. My guess is that they are using our data to demonstrate progress, but they have substituted us with their relatives for final funding (3/4 of the allegedly funded businesses were making handmade soap).
“(A clear indication of foul play.) Keep in mind that the program terminated my participation, leading me to finance my own business independently.
“I started the business with a Sh2k domain and business name, and later secured a Sh100,000 loan from YEDEF. Investors withdrew by November 2023 due to high taxes, forcing me to terminate all employees. I rebuilt it again from scratch, and I now want to launch a super app.
“It’s unbelievable how someone can use our hard work, sweat, and tears to enrich themselves. Please investigate whether we are Guinea pigs,” another participant asked.