President William Ruto has announced that the government will on Friday launch the second disbursement of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) business support programme, releasing KSh3 billion to 122,000 young entrepreneurs across the country.
In a statement shared on his X account on Monday, the President said each beneficiary will receive KSh25,000 under the second tranche of the programme, bringing the total support received by each beneficiary to KSh50,000 following an earlier disbursement made this year.
Ruto said all beneficiaries had already completed a business development skills programme ahead of receiving the second round of funding.
“With the launch of the KSh3 billion second tranche of the business support component for the 122,000 beneficiaries, each beneficiary will receive KSh25,000. In addition to a similar amount they had received earlier in the year, each beneficiary will have received a total of KSh50,000,” the President said.
Launch to Be Held Simultaneously Across the Country
The nationwide launch will be conducted simultaneously at 18 venues, bringing together beneficiaries from all 47 counties.
President Ruto announced the rollout after receiving a progress briefing at State House, Nairobi, on preparations for the second phase of the programme.
NYOTA Programme Targets Youth Enterprise and Employment
The NYOTA programme is one of the government’s flagship youth empowerment initiatives aimed at supporting young people through start-up capital, entrepreneurship training and employment opportunities.
The latest disbursement follows the programme’s initial rollout earlier this year, when KSh250 million was released to 9,500 young entrepreneurs in six North Rift counties—Turkana, West Pokot, Trans Nzoia, Nandi, Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet.
Under the business start-up component, beneficiaries receive the KSh50,000 grant in phases and are required to complete business development training before accessing the full amount.
Government and World Bank Partnership
The NYOTA initiative is jointly funded by the Government of Kenya and the World Bank and is designed to expand economic opportunities for young people through enterprise development, skills training and employment.
When launching the programme in January, President Ruto said it had an overall budget of KSh5 billion and was expected to benefit 100,000 young people, with at least 70 beneficiaries selected from each of Kenya’s 1,450 wards.
In addition to start-up capital, the programme includes:
- On-the-job training for 90,000 young people.
- Recognition of prior learning to certify 20,000 youths.
- Business development training for 600,000 young people to enhance access to government procurement opportunities.
Under the apprenticeship component, participants are attached to master craftsmen and women for six months, receive a monthly stipend of KSh6,000, and undergo skills certification, with the government covering the training costs.
President Ruto has previously urged beneficiaries to invest the funds prudently, noting that responsible use of the support could determine eligibility for future government empowerment programmes.
