When William Ruto, President of Kenya chaired a high‑level meeting at State House, Nairobi on 3 October 2025, he set in motion the nationwide rollout of the NYOTA programme – a KSh5 billion youth empowerment partnership with the World Bank. The initiative aims to reach 820,000 young Kenyans, with an initial tranche of 101,500 grant recipients each receiving KSh50,000 to kick‑start their businesses. Ruto stressed a “whole‑of‑government” approach, pulling in officials from the executive, legislature and county administrations to ensure transparency and inclusivity.
The National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme is structured around four intervention streams. The headline component disburses KSh50,000 grants to 100,000 youths – roughly 70 beneficiaries per each of Kenya’s 1,450 wards – creating a geographic safety net that mirrors the country’s electoral map. Beyond cash, the scheme earmarks training for 90,000 participants through on‑the‑job experience, 20,000 for prior‑learning recognition, and a massive 600,000‑person cohort slated for Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) workshops.
Funding for NYOTA comes from a KSh5 billion allocation approved by the National Treasury, with the World Bank matching a portion through technical assistance and monitoring frameworks. According to a briefing by the Ministry of Cooperatives and Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development, the multi‑year budget will be released in quarterly tranches to ensure fiscal discipline while keeping the rollout on schedule.
During the State House session, President Ruto was flanked by the cabinet’s Principal Secretaries, each tasked with shepherding the programme to their respective counties. He announced that the rollout would launch on 6 October 2025 at 9:00 AM, with every Principal Secretary returning to their home region to oversee local launch events.
"This is coming as a result of being deliberate about doing something about employment, empowerment and engagement with young people," Ruto said, his voice echoing through the press gallery. The president’s remarks were echoed by Prof Abdulrazak Shaukat, Principal Secretary for Research, who added, "By linking training to real market opportunities, we’re moving beyond short‑term handouts to sustainable livelihoods."
The coordinated launch saw a flurry of activity across Kenya’s 47 counties. In Mombasa County, Mohamed Daghar, Principal Secretary for Transport opened the ceremony at Ronald Ngala Social Hall in Mvita, unveiling the first batch of grants for coastal entrepreneurs. In the neighbouring Kwale County, Abdulrazak Shaukat again took center stage at the Kwale Cultural Centre, emphasizing the programme’s focus on agribusiness.
Youth affairs were front‑and‑centre when Fikirini Jacobs, Principal Secretary for Youth inaugurated the St Thomas Hall launch in Kilifi, handing out the first set of KSh50,000 vouchers to aspiring tech start‑ups. Further south, Idris Dakota, Principal Secretary for Cabinet Affairs presided over the Hola Primary School ceremony in Tana River, highlighting how NYOTA will dovetail with ongoing agricultural extension programmes.
Other notable launches included Abubakar Hassan, Principal Secretary for Trade and Investments at the Lamu County Commander Centre, Shadrack Mwadime, Principal Secretary for Labour at CDH Mwatate Hall in Taita‑Taveta, Aden Abdi Milah, Principal Secretary for Maritime at Garissa University Amphitheatre, and Umi Mohamed Bashir, Principal Secretary for Culture at the ICT Hall in Wajir town.
Simultaneous with the county ceremonies, the government reopened applications for NYOTA’s Phase Two. The registration window runs from 6 October to 12 October 2025 and is deliberately mobile‑first: applicants dial *254#, select ‘Apply for NYOTA Project’, and choose among three pathways – Business Support (grant‑linked training), On‑the‑Job Experience (internship), or Learning & Practice (recognition of prior learning).
“We wanted a system that young people could access even without internet data,” explained Japheth Otieno, a senior official at the Ministry of Youth Affairs. The USSD platform also offers real‑time feedback, confirming submission and providing a reference number for follow‑up.
Economists warn that while cash grants can spark micro‑enterprise, the true test will be the programme’s ability to integrate beneficiaries into formal supply chains. Dr. Amina Hassan, senior fellow at the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis noted, “If the AGPO trainings translate into actual contracts with government ministries, we could see a measurable reduction in youth unemployment within two election cycles.”
Youth advocacy groups remain cautiously optimistic. The Kenya Youth Coalition released a statement saying, “NYOTA is a welcome step, but implementation must be swift and corruption‑free; otherwise, the promise of empowerment will evaporate.”
Opposition leader Raila Odinga called for parliamentary oversight, urging the Senate to set up a joint committee to monitor disbursements and training outcomes.
As the first wave of launches settles, the Ministry plans a mid‑year audit in March 2026 to assess grant utilisation, training completion rates, and early business survival metrics. A public dashboard, powered by the World Bank’s data‑visualisation tools, will publish real‑time statistics for all 820,000 participants.
Should NYOTA meet its targets, Kenya could set a regional benchmark for large‑scale youth empowerment, potentially inspiring similar schemes in Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia. For now, millions of Kenyan youths are watching their phones, waiting for the USSD prompt that could change their economic trajectory.
NYOTA provides KSh50,000 grants to 100,000 young entrepreneurs, plus training for another 720,000 youths through internships, prior‑learning recognition and procurement workshops. The cash helps start micro‑businesses, while the skills component aims to improve employability and link beneficiaries to government supply chains.
The rollout is coordinated by the President’s office, the Ministry of Cooperatives and Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development, and a network of Principal Secretaries assigned to each of Kenya’s 47 counties. Each Secretary leads the launch in their home county.
Applications open on 6 October 2025 and close on 12 October 2025. Interested candidates can register via the USSD code *254#, choosing one of three intervention pathways.
The programme follows a whole‑of‑government approach, with real‑time tracking on a public dashboard, quarterly audits by the Auditor General, and parliamentary oversight committees mandated to review expenditures.
Beyond co‑financing a portion of the KSh5 billion budget, the World Bank provides technical assistance, monitoring tools and data‑visualisation platforms to help the Kenyan government track impact and ensure best practices.
Lois Parker
NYOTA sounds nice, but let's see if the money actually lands.