President William Ruto has dispatched all Principal Secretaries (PSs) to their home counties for the official rollout of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme, a Sh5 billion initiative aimed at supporting young Kenyans with start-up capital, training, and mentorship.
Each PS will preside over the launch of the programme in their respective home regions this morning, marking a nationwide activation of one of the government’s most ambitious youth empowerment drives. The programme targets 100,000 youths across the country, each receiving Sh50,000 in seed funding to start or expand small businesses.
The Ministry of Cooperatives and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development said the nationwide exercise embodies a “Whole-of-Government Approach” to ensure inclusivity and transparency.
“This is a transformative job creation initiative targeting vulnerable Kenyan youths at the bottom of the economic pyramid,” the ministry said in a statement.
Among the PSs leading the launches include Transport PS Mohamed Daghar in Mombasa, Youth PS Fikirini Jacobs in Kilifi, Cooperatives PS Patrick Kilemi in Meru, and Education PS Prof Julius Bitok in Uasin Gishu. Interior PS Raymond Omollo is in Homabay, while Lands PS Nixon Korir will oversee the Nairobi event at Kariakor Social Hall.
The NYOTA programme, developed in partnership with the World Bank, was unveiled in August during the International Youth Day celebrations in Kakamega County. Initially slated to begin in September, the rollout was delayed for final alignments.
Speaking after meeting PSs at State House, President Ruto affirmed the government’s commitment to empowering young people.
“We are investing in our youth, unlocking opportunities, and driving enterprise and innovation across Kenya,” he said.
With this initiative, the Ruto administration aims to tackle youth unemployment by turning innovative ideas into sustainable businesses, accelerating Kenya’s bottom-up economic transformation.
