Sh250m disbursed as Ruto launches phase two of NYOTA in North Rift

President William Ruto on Wednesday launched the second phase of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) business support programme, targeting young entrepreneurs in six North Rift counties as part of the government’s broader youth empowerment agenda.

Speaking at the Eldoret Sports Club, the President said the programme is designed to grow youth-owned businesses and expand economic opportunities for young people across the country.

During the event, Sh250 million was disbursed to 9,500 young entrepreneurs from Turkana, West Pokot, Trans Nzoia, Nandi, Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo-Marakwet counties through mobile phone transfers.

Under the NYOTA Business Start-Up Capital programme, each beneficiary received an initial Sh22,000 of the total Sh50,000 allocated to them, deposited into their NYOTA mobile wallets.

An additional Sh3,000 was deposited into each beneficiary’s savings account at the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

“This programme is one of the government’s deliberate efforts to grow the businesses of young people across the country,” President Ruto said, noting that the initiative prioritises accountability and individual responsibility.

“This programme involves a high level of accountability and transparency because it is about an individual’s efforts to initiate a project that transforms their life,” he said.

The NYOTA programme, a partnership between the government and the World Bank, is a flagship youth empowerment initiative valued at Sh5 billion.

It is designed to support 100,000 young people nationwide, with at least 70 beneficiaries drawn from each of Kenya’s 1,450 wards.

President Ruto said the programme has three additional components beyond start-up capital.

These include on-the-job training targeting 90,000 young people, recognition of prior learning that will train and certify 20,000 youths, and a procurement training component aimed at equipping 600,000 young people with skills to participate in government tenders.

Explaining the on-the-job training component, the President said beneficiaries will be attached to master craftsmen and women for skills transfer and will receive a Sh6,000 monthly stipend for six months.

He added that the master craftsmen and women will also be paid, while the government will cover the cost of certification for the trainees.

The President urged young people to take advantage of government programmes that directly impact their livelihoods, citing affordable housing, NYOTA, Kazi Majuu and digital jobs as key initiatives that have created employment opportunities.

Already, he said, 600,000 young people are working in affordable housing projects, 500,000 have secured jobs abroad since 2023, and another 200,000 are engaged in digital programmes.

“Use the money we are giving you properly so that you can qualify for the other phase and other youths also get similar opportunities,” President Ruto told NYOTA beneficiaries.

On education funding, the President said the government had released Sh44 billion before schools opened for the term, representing 50 per cent of this year’s allocation.

He said 30 per cent would be disbursed in the second term and the remaining 20 per cent in the third term.

“I have made a commitment that education is not a privilege for those who can afford it, but a right for every child in Kenya,” he said.

The President also cautioned youth against being drawn into tribal politics and warned leaders against promoting hatred.

“How can someone be so desperate to the extent of selling hatred to children in schools?” he posed.

On drugs and illicit brews, Ruto said the government has introduced tough measures and will target commercial dealers, urging young people to avoid involvement in the vice.

Cabinet Secretaries Wycliffe Oparanya and Salim Mvurya, several governors, MPs and local leaders attended the event.