Nairobi, January 8- President William Ruto has officially launched the second phase of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Project, expanding efforts to support young entrepreneurs across Kenya.
The launch took place at the Eldoret Sports Club on January 8, 2026, where the President presided over a key milestone for the initiative. The event also served as the commencement of fund disbursement to youths who have met the requirements to access startup capital under the programme.
The NYOTA Project seeks to equip young Kenyans with the financial resources and skills needed to start and grow sustainable businesses. Under this second phase, approximately 50,000 youth beneficiaries will receive Sh22,000 each, deposited directly into their NYOTA mobile wallets as startup capital. In addition, Sh3,000 will be credited into each beneficiary’s National Social Security Fund (NSSF) account to promote a culture of savings among young entrepreneurs.
In his remarks, President Ruto reaffirmed his government’s commitment to placing youth at the centre of the nation’s economic transformation. He emphasised that empowering young people through enterprise development is key to addressing unemployment and driving innovation in the economy.
Officials from the Ministry of Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) noted that NYOTA goes beyond financial support. It also includes business training, mentorship and market linkage services designed to improve the success rate and sustainability of youth-led ventures.
The launch of phase two builds on the progress of the initial rollout, which saw successful disbursement of funds to the first cohort in various counties. The government has indicated that further phases will continue to expand access to capital for young entrepreneurs as part of its broader strategy to strengthen Kenya’s small business ecosystem and support economic growth.
As the programme continues nationwide, it represents a major push under the administration’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, which prioritises grassroots enterprise development as a pathway to inclusive economic opportunity.
