RAYMOND OMOLLO: Nyota — Empowering Kenya’s youth is securing the nation

Securityinourtimeisnolongerdefinedonlybyarmies,patrols orsurveillance systems.Truesecuritybeginsintheheartsofcitizens;itismeasuredbydignity, hope andstabilitywithincommunities.Lastingpeaceisneversimplyenforced. It is built when people are given a reason to protect it. National security, therefore,isnotjustthepreserveofuniformedforces;itisthepivotuponwhich prosperity and the welfare of any nation rest.

Therootsofinsecurityarenothidden.Researchandlivedexperienceshowthat instability is born of frustration and exclusion. When needs remain unfulfilled andopportunitiesdenied,resentmentbrews.

Politicalandeconomicexclusion, poverty, inequity, exploitation and disease are not only social challenges; they are triggers of unrest. For years, youth unemployment and underemployment havecompoundedthesepressures,makingyoungpeopleespeciallyvulnerable. Disillusioned youth become easy targets for extremist recruiters, criminal gangs, and political manipulation.

Kenya has long faced this dilemma. For every promise of jobs, too many youth haveremainedtrappedincyclesofuncertainty.Buttoday,ashiftisunderway—a bold effort to confront insecurity at its root by addressing the vulnerabilities thatfuelit.TheNationalYouthOpportunitiesTowardsAdvancement(Nyota) is not just a jobs programme; it is a rethinking of how we define both security and prosperity.

Nyotatransformsvulnerabilityintovalueandrestlessnessintoresponsibility. Bycreatingstructuredpathwaysforover820,000youngKenyans,theprogramme is turning insecurity into inclusion. Already, more than 1.4 million youth have applied through the 254# platform. This is not the reaction of a disengaged generation.ItisproofthatKenya’syoutharehungryforcredibleopportunities.

A boda boda operator in Kisii applying to gain skills, a young mother in Kilifi saving through the programme or a refugee apprentice in Turkana finding access to training—these are powerful reminders that our youth are not apathetic. They are waiting for a system that recognises their worth.

ThepowerofNyotaliesinitsdesign.Youngpeopleareattachedtoworkplaces where they learn on the job, earn income and gain both technical and behavioural skills. Beyond productivity, these attachments instil discipline, teamwork and resilience – values that strengthen communities. A Labour Market Observatory ensures that training matches real demand, linking talent to employment opportunities at home and abroad.

Entrepreneurshipsupportdeepensthisempowermentbyequippingyouthwith training, mentorship and start-up capital. Already, over 46,000 applicants have completed entrepreneurship tests and thousands are in pilot training.

A tailoring shop in Kakamega, a solar technician in Turkana, a repair garage in Busia–thesearenotjustbusinesses; theyarehubsofstability.Eachenterprise becomesadeterrenttocrime,asourceofdignity andawellspringofresilience. Empowered youth not only sustain themselves; they employ others, anchor families and strengthen communities.

Perhaps the most transformative dimension is savings and financial inclusion. Morethan1.1millionyoutharebeingenrolledintotheNationalSocialSecurity Fund through auto-enrolment and digital deductions. A 2:1 matching incentive, capped at Sh6,000, rewards consistent saving.

For the first time, many young people are not living day to day but building habits of foresight. Women are supported through a Maternity Income Replacement Benefit, ensuring that motherhood does not disrupt their stability. A culture of saving turnsyouthintostabilisers.Whentheyplan,invest,andbuild,theybecomethe backbone of society’s security.

Philosophically,Nyotaisnotmerelyayouthinitiative;itisasecuritystrategy. It complements policing and counter-extremism by addressing the economic root causesofconflict.Itgivesyoungpeopleastakeinthenation’ssuccess,ensuring peace is not imposed but embraced. It aligns with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, translating policy into protection and opportunity into order.

Communityvalidationforumsanchortheprogrammelocally.Bybringingtogether National Government Administration Officers, MPs, MCAs and county officials, Nyota makes selection transparent and participatory. These forums give life to Article 10 of the constitution, where governance is grounded in fairness and inclusion. Dialogue builds trust, and trust itself is the fabric of security.

Thetruthisthatlastingpeacecannotbeachievedonlythroughsurveillanceand patrols.Itmustbebuiltfromthebottomup,throughopportunity,fairness and belonging.

A young person with a payslip, a savings plan or a small enterprise isnotathreat;heisaprotector.Ayoungwomanwithmentorshipandcapitalis not vulnerable; she is a builder. When youth have hope, they safeguard their homes. When they have dignity, they defend their country.

Kenya stands at a crossroads. Traditional security responses – our police, our intelligenceservices,ourdefenceforces – remainindispensableinprotectingour people. But lasting peace cannot rest on enforcement alone. It must be complementedbyprevention:addressingtherootcausesthatfuelvulnerability and unrest.

That is where Nyota comes in. It is a bet on inclusive security – recognising that safety is sustained not only by patrols and prosecutions, but also by fairness, dignity and opportunity. From the artisan in Busia to the fisherfolk in Homa Bay, from the student in Eldoret to the boda boda operator in Kisii, Nyota is replacing vulnerability with vision and dependency with drive.