NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 19 – President William Ruto on Monday oversaw the disbursement of Sh708.8 million to 14,176 youth from Nairobi, Kajiado and Kiambu counties under the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Programme, during an event held at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, Nairobi.
The event also marked the launch of the NYOTA Business Start-Up Capital disbursement, with Sh258.4 million set aside specifically to support young entrepreneurs from the three counties.
Under this component, 10,337 young entrepreneurs will each receive Sh25,000 in initial start-up capital to establish or expand their businesses.
Of this amount, Sh22,000 will be credited directly to each beneficiary’s Pochi la Biashara mobile account to support business operations, while Sh3,000 will be deposited into a Haba na Haba Savings Account managed by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) to encourage a savings culture.
In the second phase of the NYOTA project, the same beneficiaries will receive an additional Sh25,000, bringing the total support per entrepreneur to Sh50,000.
Speaking during the disbursement, President Ruto said the NYOTA programme is a key pillar of the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, aimed at empowering youth through access to capital, skills development and enterprise support.
“This programme is about giving young people the capital, skills and opportunities they need to build sustainable livelihoods and create jobs,” the President said.
The beneficiaries, drawn from Nairobi, Kiambu and Kajiado counties, are expected to use the funds to start or scale small businesses, with additional support in training, mentorship and financial management built into the programme.
Government officials noted that the structured disbursement—combining direct business capital and mandatory savings—is designed to promote accountability, financial discipline and long-term economic stability among young people.
The NYOTA programme is a flagship government initiative implemented in partnership with development agencies, targeting unemployed and vulnerable youth across the country.
President Ruto reaffirmed that similar disbursements will be rolled out nationwide as part of ongoing efforts to tackle youth unemployment and stimulate grassroots economic growth.
“This is not a handout; it is an investment in our youth and in the future of Kenya,” he said.
