The government will, on Friday, October 24, 2025, conduct a nationwide physical validation exercise for beneficiaries of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Project.
The World Bank–funded initiative, aimed at transforming the lives of vulnerable youth across Kenya, targets to reach 820,000 young people aged between 18 and 29 years—and up to 35 years for persons with disabilities—across all 1,450 wards in the country.
The five-year project seeks to enhance employment opportunities, increase income generation, and promote savings among young people, according to Cooperatives and MSMEs Development Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya.
“The Physical Validation Exercise, scheduled for Friday, will be conducted simultaneously across all 290-constituency headquarters.
“Under the Business Support Component, 100,000 youth entrepreneurs will receive entrepreneurship training, mentorship, and start-up grants of Sh50,000 each to establish or expand their businesses,” he said in a statement.
Oparanya reiterated that the process aims to confirm the authenticity and eligibility of applicants, ensuring that only genuine and qualified youth are selected to benefit from the programme.
During the exercise, officials will verify key details, including residency, education level, employment status, gender, and disability.
Only those who present themselves physically will be considered for selection, and the ministry has clarified that there will be no repeat exercise.
“The validation will be led by Principal Secretaries, in collaboration with elected leaders, National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs), and the NYOTA Project Implementation Team, through a Whole-of-Government approach.
Each constituency will host validation centres with breakout stations organised by wards to enhance efficiency and transparency,” Oparanya added.
The NYOTA Project is a flagship government effort to promote youth employability, entrepreneurship, and a savings culture through four key interventions: Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), On-Job Experience (OJE), Business Support, and Digital Training on AGPO and the e-GP platform.
Applicants are required to carry their National Identity Cards, while persons with disabilities must also present their disability identification cards for authentication.
The CS further noted that the Entrepreneurship Aptitude Test (EAT) remains a mandatory requirement for final selection.
“Youth who have not yet taken the test will be allowed to do so on-site. To take the EAT, applicants should send the word NYOTA to 40270 and complete the 19-question test, which is available in multiple languages and is free of charge. The deadline for completion is Friday, October 24, at 12 p.m.,” he said.
After the validation, the NYOTA team will review the data and test results over three days before announcing the final list of successful beneficiaries, who will then proceed to induction and training sessions ahead of the business start-up phase.
