Ruto in Nakuru to disburse NYOTA start-up capital to South Rift youth

President William Ruto has arrived in Nakuru to preside over the disbursement of business start-up capital under the NYOTA Project targeting beneficiaries from the South Rift cluster.

The event, being held at the Nakuru ASK Showground, brings together thousands of youth drawn from the counties of Nakuru, Narok, Kericho, Bomet and Baringo, who have been selected to receive seed capital to grow small enterprises.

The disbursement is part of a week-long national rollout under Phase Two of the project that will see about 50,000 young Kenyans across 27 counties receive start-up capital and financial inclusion support.

On Thursday, the Head of State led a similar exercise in Eldoret for the North Rift region, where 9,500 beneficiaries from Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nandi, Trans-Nzoia, Turkana and West Pokot counties received a total of approximately Sh250 million.

Each beneficiary under the programme is receiving Sh22,000 deposited into their NYOTA Pochi la Biashara wallet to boost enterprise formation, while an additional Sh3,000 is being channelled into their Haba na Haba savings account under the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

The initiative is managed by the State Department for MSMEs Development and seeks to empower vulnerable youth in all 1,450 wards of the country, with a minimum of 70 beneficiaries per ward.

Beneficiaries are required to have completed a three-day business skills training before receipt of funds.

President Ruto said the programme is part of a broader effort by the government to confront unemployment and expand livelihoods through enterprise support, vocational certification, skills transfer, labour mobility and structured internships.

“In addition, we will support 20,000 young people in the Recognition of Prior Learning component of NYOTA. The government will fund a certification course of up to one month to enable a smooth transition into employment,” the President said during the Eldoret rollout.

“At the same time, we will support another 90,000 young people to undergo on-the-job training. They will be attached to master craftsmen and women for skills transfer, and receive a Sh6,000 stipend a month for six months. The master craftsmen will also be paid as the government meets the cost of certification."

Ruto said the programme will also complement public procurement reforms, noting that the government plans to train at least 600,000 young people, women and persons with disabilities on how to access the 30 per cent procurement opportunities reserved for their categories under the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act.

“Together with labour mobility and affordable housing programmes, development of markets and hostels, and the expansion of digital jobs, we are confronting unemployment and eradicating poverty,” the President said.

Phase Two of NYOTA follows a pilot rollout in November last year in Western Kenya, where more than 12,000 beneficiaries from Kakamega, Vihiga, Busia and Bungoma counties received similar start-up capital.

The ongoing disbursements form part of a structured cluster schedule covering seven major centres.

After Nakuru, the President will on Monday visit Nanyuki, where beneficiaries from Laikipia, Isiolo and Samburu counties will be issued funds before heading to Nyeri to serve those from Nyeri, Murang’a, Kirinyaga and Nyandarua.

On January 14, the rollout will move to Meru for beneficiaries from Meru, Tharaka Nithi and Embu; on January 15, it shifts to Machakos for Machakos, Kitui and Makueni; and will conclude on January 16 in Nairobi for Nairobi, Kiambu and Kajiado.

The government expects the programme, combined with enterprise support, industrial skilling and certification, to reduce idle youth unemployment while boosting MSME formation in both rural and urban markets.