President William Ruto has rolled out a major youth empowerment boost in the North Rift, unveiling the disbursement of over Ksh.235 million under the NYOTA Project.

NYOTA is a flagship initiative aimed at breathing life into thousands of youth-led enterprises across the country.

The programme is set to directly benefit 9,423 young people drawn from Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nandi, Trans-Nzoia, Turkana and West Pokot counties, offering them much-needed start-up capital and a structured pathway into entrepreneurship.

Each beneficiary will receive Ksh.25,000, with Ksh.22,000 channelled into the Pochi La Biashara wallet to support daily business operations, while Ksh.3,000 will be deposited into an NSSF Haba Na Haba savings account to encourage a culture of saving among young entrepreneurs.

Speaking during the launch on January 8, President Ruto described the NYOTA Project as a new standard for fairness and accountability in public programmes, noting that its fully digitised process guarantees equal opportunity for all youth, regardless of background or connections.

“This is about giving every young Kenyan a fair chance to build a livelihood,” the President said, adding that the initiative reflects the government’s commitment to job creation and enterprise development as key pillars of economic growth.

The NYOTA Project complements other government programmes such as the Affordable Housing initiative, labour export opportunities and the expanding digital economy, all aimed at widening employment pathways for the youth.

Governors from the benefiting counties pledged their full support to the programme, announcing waivers on business licence fees and cess charges to reduce the cost of doing business.

They also committed to availing enterprise development funds to help beneficiaries access additional capital as their ventures grow.

During a high-level mentorship session, President Ruto shared his personal story of humble beginnings in Maili Tisa, Uasin Gishu County, encouraging young entrepreneurs to remain resilient and take advantage of government support mechanisms such as the Hustler Fund, Uwezo Fund and the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA).

Cooperatives and MSMEs Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya hailed the project as the largest youth job creation drive in Kenya’s history, noting that it reaches at least 70 beneficiaries in each of the country’s 1,450 wards.

Youth Affairs Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya urged beneficiaries to invest the funds wisely, revealing that additional programme components, including job experience and skills recognition, will roll out in the next phase.

At the same time, National Assembly Trade and Cooperatives Committee Vice Chair Marianne Keitany said Parliament is considering the Start-Up Bill, which will further strengthen the MSME sector by easing access to business services, capital and licence waivers.