Monday, 6th October – President William Ruto has deployed Principal Secretaries to all 47 counties to roll out the Ksh 5 billion National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme.
The programme is a five-year partnership initiative between the Government of Kenya and the World Bank that aims to empower youth through start-up capital, training, mentorship, savings, life skills, and systems-strengthening interventions.
According to the NYOTA website, the initiative targets about 820,000 youth aged 18-29 (and up to 35 for people with disabilities), particularly those with at most secondary school level education (Form Four), who are unemployed, underemployed, or in the low-income sector.
Its main components include:
- Improving employability through targeted training, apprenticeships/on-the-job experience, and recognition of prior learning for informal skills holders.
- Supporting entrepreneurship: business development services, mentorship, startup capital (e.g., KES 50,000 for qualifying youth after training), and access to markets.
- Encouraging savings, financial literacy, and inclusion via the “Haba Haba” savings scheme under NSSF.
- Strengthening youth employment systems, including digital skills like monetizing social media, coordination among government agencies, and improving access to government procurement and other available opportunities.
How to Qualify For NYOTA Project Money
To qualify for the Ksh 50,000, you need to meet all of the following requirements:
- Be between 18 to 29 years.
- If you have a disability (and are registered with NCPWD), the age limit is extended to 35 years.
- Education: Your highest formal education should be Form Four (KCSE level) or below. Y
- Citizenship & Identification:
- Must be a Kenyan citizen.
- Possess a valid National ID card.
- Have a SIM card registered in your name and linked to your National Identification card (ID).
- Employment status: You must be unemployed, underemployed, or in a low-tier income job/informal employment.
Application Process
If you meet the eligibility criteria above, below is the next process of application.
- Application will be done via USSD *254# and selecting NYOTA project during the open application window.
- If preselected, you’ll be asked to take an Entrepreneurship Aptitude Test (EAT) to assess your readiness in terms of mindset, business idea, etc.
- Attend and complete a required business services training for 4 days, and any mentorship sessions.
- After successful completion of training and meeting all other requirements, you’ll receive the start-up capital of KES 50,000, disbursed in two tranches (KES 25,000 each).
The programme will see 70 youth in 1450 wards across the country receiving 50,000 each to empower themselves economically.
