More than 180,000 young Kenyans have been shortlisted to benefit from the Ksh50,000 NYOTA Grant, a five-year initiative funded by the World Bank aimed at tackling youth unemployment, income insecurity, and low savings.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Trade Committee, Cooperatives and MSMEs Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya confirmed that the government had received over 1.4 million applications through the USSD *254# platform earlier this year. From these, 180,000 applicants were selected through what he described as a fair randomisation process.
Each successful applicant will receive Ksh50,000 in two instalments of Ksh25,000, alongside Business Development Services (BDS) training and mentorship. “The shortlisted youths are currently undertaking an online aptitude test before final selection,” Oparanya told lawmakers. He added that 46 per cent of the shortlisted candidates are women, while 26,000 are people with disabilities, underscoring the programme’s inclusivity.
Oparanya further assured the committee that the programme will be officially launched on September 18, 2025, with the first cohort of 54,000 beneficiaries set to receive funds immediately after. The remaining shortlisted applicants will be supported in two additional phases.
Committee members, however, voiced concerns over delays in implementing the multi-billion-shilling programme and questioned some of the requirements youths must meet before accessing funds. In response, Oparanya explained that the phased rollout was necessary to ensure accountability and effective monitoring of the beneficiaries.
The latest update comes just two weeks after President William Ruto revealed that the government had already released Ksh5 billion to be distributed under the NYOTA programme. Speaking at State House on August 9, the President announced that 70 youths in each ward across the country would receive the Ksh50,000 support package.
“I have said that, beginning next month, we have agreed with the World Bank that youths in each ward will receive business support. Seventy youths in each ward will receive Ksh50,000 to start their businesses,” the President stated.
With unemployment continuing to challenge millions of young Kenyans, the NYOTA programme is being closely watched as a potential game-changer in youth empowerment and grassroots economic growth.
