President William Ruto on Monday presided over the disbursement of Ksh.258.4 million under the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) business support programme at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani. The funding is set to benefit 10,337 young entrepreneurs from Nairobi, Kiambu, and Kajiado counties, providing each with an initial business start-up capital of Ksh.25,000 to establish or expand their enterprises.
Of the amount, Ksh.22,000 will be credited directly to each beneficiary’s Pochi la Biashara account, while the remaining Ksh.3,000 will be deposited into their Haba na Haba Savings Account managed by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
President Ruto emphasized the government’s commitment to empowering Kenyan youth, particularly through digital opportunities.
“Young people of Kenya, you have an opportunity to work on our digital work ecosystem without having to know anybody. You can assign yourself and work through the internet,” he said.
“It is not just this space we are creating with NYOTA. We have opportunities on other platforms—housing, ICT, labour. We are not just giving you money, we are also going to train you, mentor you and walk with you.”
The NYOTA programme, a five-year partnership between the government and the World Bank, is valued at Ksh.5 billion and aims to provide targeted youth empowerment support. Beneficiaries are expected to use the grants in line with business plans developed during training, with ongoing technical assistance provided.
In the second phase of the programme, participants will receive an additional Ksh.25,000, bringing the total grant per entrepreneur to Ksh.50,000.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki commended President Ruto for the initiative, highlighting its inclusivity and positive impact on young people venturing into entrepreneurship.
“NYOTA is promoting inclusivity in helping our youth because it doesn’t consider only those who have skills or have gone to school,” he said.
“Today, 70 young people from every ward in Kiambu, Nairobi and Kajiado will leave here with financial support from the NYOTA program. This is not the only youth-empowerment program we are having under the President’s leadership.”
The disbursement schedule for the third phase, which will cover 16 additional counties including Kilifi, Lamu, Tana River, Mombasa, Kwale, Taita Taveta, Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay, Migori, Nyamira, Kisii, Marsabit, Garissa, Mandera, and Wajir, will be announced in due course.
NYOTA represents a flagship government initiative aimed at fostering entrepreneurship, financial independence, and digital skills among Kenya’s youth, aligning with broader national development priorities.
