Nairobi, Kenya – Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has announced that the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) initiative is being fine-tuned and expanded to benefit more than 2 million young people across the country.
Speaking at the Official Residence in Karen on Tuesday, the Deputy President said the program has already reached 820,000 youth in its initial phase and is now preparing for a major scale-up.
“The government is looking at possibilities of injecting more resources into this program to ensure we expand it and reach more beneficiaries and impact the lives of many young people. Currently we are at 820,000 beneficiaries but we will double this number and even reach 2 million youth in the long run,” Prof. Kindiki revealed.
Business Grant Component Impact
So far, over 121,000 young people have benefitted from the Business Grant component, each receiving Sh50,000 to boost their enterprises.
“We are at the tail end of operationalizing component one which is the Business Grant allocated between 5 and 6 billion shillings. We have seen a lot of impact in supporting micro, small medium businesses and startups,” Kindiki noted.
Expanding Opportunities
The Deputy President emphasized that the expansion will bring more youth on board through:
- Business support programs.
- On-the-job training opportunities.
- Skills development initiatives.
- Recognition of prior learning.
- Access to Government Opportunities (AGPO).
These components are being fine-tuned to align with the government’s broader objectives and priorities as directed by President William Ruto.
Financial Efficiency and Alignment
Kindiki highlighted that the government has made significant savings by removing non-essential budget lines and reorganizing components. These savings will be redirected to increase the number of beneficiaries.
He further noted that the government will engage development partners to fully align the project with the administration’s development priorities, ensuring sustainability and impact.
Conclusion
The NYOTA empowerment project represents a bold step in Kenya’s youth development agenda. By expanding its reach to over 2 million beneficiaries, the initiative aims to provide young people with the tools, resources, and opportunities to thrive in business, employment, and innovation cementing its role as a cornerstone of Kenya’s socio-economic transformation.
