Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to empowering Kenya’s youth, saying they remain central to the country’s social and economic transformation.
Speaking at the Mumias Sports Complex during the official launch of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Programme, Mudavadi said the government is stable, focused, and determined to fulfill its promises by creating real opportunities for young people to thrive.
“The government, which has been in power for three years now, is stable and remains focused and diligently working to fulfill its mandate for millions of Kenyans,” he said. “The youth are part and parcel of the journey the government is walking with its citizens.”
He urged young people to actively participate in shaping Kenya’s future, saying their ideas, innovation, and energy are vital to national growth.
“We have a road map, a vision, a plan of where we want to take this country,” he said. “I urge the youth to be part of this transformative journey, for they should be part of the population that will change the fortunes of this nation in the near future.”
Mudavadi called on Kenyans to unite in fighting poverty, ignorance, and disease, describing them as the country’s biggest enemies to progress.
Drawing inspiration from a famous quote, he added: “Charlie Chaplin, one of the greatest and ancient artists, once said that to be successful you need family and friends, but to be very successful you need enemies and competitors , the enemy here being poverty, which we must fight as the youth of Kenya for us to succeed.”
The Prime CS thanked the World Bank and other development partners for supporting the redesign of the NYOTA Programme to make it more inclusive, transparent, and equitable.
“I want to thank the World Bank, represented by Country Director Qimiao Fan, and other partners for helping the government re-design this program to ensure it stands the test of time… so that through this project we can build trust, increase awareness, and incorporate the youth in coordination and decision-making,” he said.
Under the NYOTA Programme, more than 110,000 young entrepreneurs across Kenya will receive business grants of up to Ksh 50,000 to start or expand their ventures.
On Friday, over 12,000 youth from the Western region became the first beneficiaries, each receiving Ksh 25,000 to boost their small businesses.
“I call upon the youth to heed President Ruto’s advice and use the monies wisely to grow wealth and expand opportunities through business and other ventures that will ensure they have money in their pockets,” Mudavadi said.
He also commended the Ministries of Cooperatives and MSME Development; Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports; and Labour and Social Protection for implementing a programme that integrates technology and research to address youth unemployment.
