Effect of Managerial Skills on Performance of SMEs in Lodwar Municipality, Turkana County, Kenya

Purpose: To establish the effect of Managerial skills on SMEs performance in Lodwar Municipality, Turkana County, Kenya. Methodology: The research adopted a descriptive design. The target population for this study comprised of SMEs owners/managers. The study relied on primary data, which was obtained directly from respondents. Data collection was conducted through the use of structured questionnaires, specifically tailored to capture information relevant to the study variables from SMEs in Lodwar Municipality. Questionnaires were selected as the preferred tool due to their efficiency in collecting uniform responses from a relatively large sample. Findings: The findings indicate a strong positive correlation between Managerial skills and the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This implies that as SMEs gain better access to financial resources, their overall performance improves significantly Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Governments and development agencies should initiate or strengthen structured training programs aimed at building managerial capacity among SME owners and managers. These programs should cover areas such as strategic planning, financial management, human resource management, marketing, operations, and innovation. In this regard, partnerships with universities, technical institutes, and private sector trainers can enhance the reach and quality of such programs.