President William Ruto on Thursday launched the NYOTA Project Business Start-Up Capital, disbursing Sh147.5 million to support 5,901 young entrepreneurs in Machakos, Kitui and Makueni counties, as part of the government’s broader push to expand economic opportunities for youth.
Speaking at Machakos Stadium in Machakos County, the President said each beneficiary will receive Sh25,000 in the first phase to start or expand a business, with Sh22,000 deposited directly into their Pochi la Biashara mobile money account.
The remaining Sh3,000 will be saved under the Haba na Haba savings scheme managed by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) to promote a culture of saving among young people. In the second phase, beneficiaries will receive another Sh25,000, bringing the total NYOTA start-up capital to Sh50,000.
Ruto said the programme is part of deliberate government efforts to design jobs and business opportunities for young Kenyans.
Kenyan youths at Machakos Stadium during the disbursement of the NYOTA project start-up capital by President William Ruto on January 15,2026. PHOTO/PCS“Jobs don’t just happen. Jobs are created by design, and the government has the responsibility to design programmes that create opportunities,” he said.
He highlighted the government’s affordable housing programme as a major employer of young people, noting that thousands of engineers, masons, electricians, plumbers, carpenters and other skilled workers are currently engaged across the country.
“Today, as I talk to you, half a million young people who were not working two years ago are working,” Ruto said, citing projects in housing, markets and student hostels, including a 2,500-bed hostel under construction in Machakos University.
The President also defended the government’s labour export programme, describing Kenya’s human capital as among the best globally.
“If you speak to any multinational corporation anywhere in the world, they will tell you they would rather hire a Kenyan,” he said, attributing this to strong skills and English proficiency.
Ruto said reforms at the National Employment Authority had eliminated corruption and eased access to overseas jobs, including faster passport processing and travel facilitation.
“Today, 536,000 young people from Kenya are working in different parts of the world,” he said, adding that diaspora remittances have increased by an extra $1 billion.
He urged young people to take advantage of available opportunities in business financing, housing, digital jobs and labour export, saying the government is committed to “democratising opportunity” across the country.
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.
The programme has three additional components beyond start-up capital including 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.
