President Ruto: 100,000 Youth to Receive KES. 50,000 Business Capital Under NYOTA Project
President William Ruto has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to empowering young people through the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Project, a transformative initiative that addresses youth unemployment and promotes entrepreneurship.
Speaking during the International Youth Day celebrations on August 12, 2025, at Masinde Muliro University in Kakamega, the President emphasized that NYOTA is about building long-term sustainability for youth across the country.
The NYOTA Project, financed by the World Bank and spearheaded by the State Department for Youth Affairs and the Creative Economy, targets young people aged 18–29 years, and up to 35 years for Persons with Disabilities. It focuses on youth with up to secondary-level education who are underemployed or face systemic barriers to opportunities.
Over 1 million applications have already been received for the Business Support intervention, which will provide 70 young entrepreneurs in every ward - 100,000 in total - with KES. 50,000 each as capital to start or expand their businesses. Beginning September 2025, the first cohort of 54,000 beneficiaries will receive their grants, the President announced.
Beyond business support, NYOTA also includes Apprenticeship placements to equip youth with technical and workplace skills as well as Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to certify informally gained skills and boost employability.
The official project launch will take place in September, coinciding with the disbursement of the first business grants. Additionally, the On-Job Experience (OJE) selection process has concluded, and successful applicants will be notified via official NYOTA SMS.
The project is expected to strengthen systems that create employment, expand access to government catalytic funds, and procurement opportunities for Kenyan youth.
