President William Ruto has launched the second phase of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Programme's business support component, unveiling a Sh3 billion disbursement that will benefit more than 122,000 young entrepreneurs across the country. 
By Fredrick Kioko,
President William Ruto has launched the second phase of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Programme's business support component, unveiling a Sh3 billion disbursement that will benefit more than 122,000 young entrepreneurs across the country.
Speaking during the launch, the President said each beneficiary will receive KSh25,000 under the second tranche, bringing the total support provided to every participant to KSh50,000 to help them start or expand their businesses.
Ruto described the NYOTA Programme as one of Kenya's largest investments in youth entrepreneurship, saying it is transforming lives by providing young people with the capital needed to create sustainable businesses and employment opportunities.
He noted that thousands of small businesses have already received a significant financial boost through the initiative, pointing to numerous success stories from beneficiaries across the country as proof that even modest financial support can have a meaningful economic impact.
The President dismissed critics who had argued that KSh25,000 or KSh50,000 was insufficient to make a difference, saying the achievements recorded by beneficiaries demonstrate the programme's effectiveness in supporting youth-led enterprises.
To further strengthen the initiative, Ruto directed the Ministry of Co-operatives and MSMEs Development to establish a National NYOTA Identification Mechanism that will enable beneficiaries to access government services, incentives and business support more efficiently.
He also instructed key government financing institutions, including the Youth Enterprise Development Fund, Uwezo Fund, Women Enterprise Fund, and Kenya Industrial Estates (KIE), to develop a dedicated NYOTA Growth Product that will provide additional financing to businesses established under the programme, allowing them to expand beyond the initial grants.
In addition, the President called on the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC) and county governments to implement a two-year business permit waiver for all NYOTA beneficiaries to ease the cost of doing business and improve the survival rate of newly established enterprises.
The NYOTA Programme forms part of the government's broader strategy to tackle youth unemployment by promoting entrepreneurship, improving access to affordable financing and creating an enabling environment for young Kenyans to build successful and sustainable businesses.
