The government has finalised structures for the full implementation of the Sh20 billion World Bank-backed youth empowerment programme, it has said.

It plans to equipe more than 820,000 vulnerable youth with skills, business capital and access to financial inclusion under the programme.

The National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) project is aimed at helping the country address the unemployment crisis, with Kenya’s youth population projected to rise to 22.3 million by 2030.

Officially announced by President William Ruto during his 2025 Madaraka Day address, the initiative, which is a flagship of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) targets youth aged between 18–29 years, with the age cap extended to 35 years for persons with disabilities.

Since the application window opened on July 11, the project has already received over one million applications for the entrepreneurship’s component—a clear signal of the urgent demand for youth empowerment opportunities.

Cabinet Secretaries Alfred Mutua (Labour and Social Protection), Wycliffe Oparanya (National Treasury) and Salim Mvurya (Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports) met on August 4, to finalise plans for the project launch.

“Together with my colleagues, we fine-tuned plans for the NYOTA, an initiative that promises to change the future for many Kenyan youths,” said CS Mutua.

NYOTA is structured around four components: enhancing employability through structured apprenticeships and recognition of prior learning; supporting entrepreneurship with capital and mentorship, promoting savings via the NSSF’s Haba Haba scheme and strengthening institutional support systems.

Component two, being implemented by the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA), will provide Sh50,000 in start-up funding to 110,000 youth—including 5,000 refugees and an equal number from host communities.

The funds will be disbursed in two tranches, with Sh3,000 from each tranche deposited into the Haba Haba savings scheme. Young women will also benefit from a Sh16,000 maternity incentive if they save Sh400 monthly for four months.

According to MSEA, the 110,000 youth will be reached in three phases spread across the project’s life. The first phase will have 54,000 beneficiaries, while the second and third phases will have 20,000 and 16,000 beneficiaries, respectively.

The remaining 10,000 will be made up of refugees and youth from the host communities.

“NYOTA is not about one-off funding; it is about building long-term capacity. With mentorship, monitoring and market linkages, we aim to cultivate a new generation of thriving youth-led enterprises. It is a gateway to mentorship, business development and meaningful enterprise,” MSEA said in a statement.

The NYOTA project also includes a paid On-the-Job Experience programme for 90,000 youth, offering three to six-month internships with a Sh6,000 monthly stipend.

Speaking at the NYOTA logo launch on July 23, CS Mvurya described the initiative as a “strategic milestone in harnessing the potential of Kenya’s youth.”

Youth Affairs and Creative Economy PS Fikirini Jacobs, emphasised NYOTA’s digital-first approach. “The application process is fully digital, removing bureaucratic hurdles and ensuring equal access,” he said.

He also revealed that 600 youth will receive up to Sh300,000 in support for job placements abroad. Amid surging interest, the government issued a scam alert on August 1, cautioning applicants to avoid fraudulent platforms.

“All official updates will be shared only via the NYOTA website and verified social media channels,” stated the Office of the Government Spokesperson.

Both the government and World Bank envision the programme as key in youth empowerment and a job creation, helping address the high unemployment in the country, where the Federation of Kenya Employers puts overall unemployment at 12.7 per cent, among youth ( 15 – 34 year olds).

Kenya’s economy defied a volatile environment both locally and globally to create 782,300 new jobs in 2024, the Economic Survey 2025 indicates. This was, however, lower than the 848,200 new jobs created in the previous year mainly in the informal sector.

NYOTA is also expected to redefine the future of work, entrepreneurship and opportunity for millions of young Kenyans.