| dc.description.abstract | Micro and Small Scale Enterprises (MS Es) are business ventures that target the lower income segment of the population who are largely poor, un-bankable and lack formal employment. They are featured more in the rural areas and small urban centers and characterized by low initial capital, individual or group management, limited stock, one- spot operation and smaller market coverage. MSEs are very important to the economies of developing countries because they are a source of employment to majority of the population. Oyugis Township has a population of 54,438 people majority of who are unemployed youth and women. In the recent past, the town has witnessed rapid proliferation and closures of Artisan Enterprises commonly referred to as the "Jua-Kali". The objectives of the study were: to determine Business Arrangements between Artisan Enterprises and their Sources of Funding for Growth, to determine the Utilization and Management of Financial Support by Artisan Enterprises for Growth, to identify Business Challenges which affect the Growth of Artisan Enterprises and to determine the extent to which financial support contributed to the Growth of Artisan Enterprises. Financial support could be in form of loans, grants, subsidies offered to MSEs by financial institution. Determining business arrangement between artisan enterprises and their sources for growth, utilization and management of financial support, identification of business challenges which affected the growth and the extent to which fjnancial support contributed to the growth of Artisan Enterprises financial institutions. The study found business arrangements between Artisan Enterprises and their sources of funding, the utilization and management of funds for growth by Artisan Enterprises, identified possible business challenges that affected the growth of Artisan Enterprises and how these were related with the financial support that they received. The study used the growth and empowerment theoretical framework. This framework purported that building of an enabling business environment encouraged investments and growth. The framework was used to explore the variables; data was analyzed and presented using descriptive and inferential statistics which provided valuable information on factors that influenced the growth of MSEs in Oyugis Township. The study population was 7 financial institutions, 56 Artisan Enterprises and the Oyugis Local Authority Staff. Random sampling technique was used to get a sample size of 5 financial institutions and 18 Artisan Enterprises for study. Questionnaires were used to-collect data. The reliability of the instruments was tested by conducting a pilot study on 21 % of the population while the face validity was determined by two experts from the School of Business and Economics of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, percentages and frequencies and inferential statistics of Spearman’s correlation coefficient to establish the strength of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. The T-test results were: utilization of funds by artisan enterprises had no effect on growth with null hypothesis accepted at 5% significance level with 9 degrees of freedom, that management of funds by artisan enterprises had no effect on growth with null hypothesis accepted at 5% significance level with 7 degrees of freedom, business challenges had no effect on growth of artisan enterprises with null hypothesis accepted at 5% significance level with 8 degrees of freedom and financial support to artisan enterprises had no effect on growth with null hypothesis accepted at 5% significance level with 9 degrees of freedom. | en_US |