NYOTA programme: Govt announces 70 youth to benefit per ward
By K24 Digital Reporter, October 24, 2025The government has announced that only seventy youth per ward who applied for the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme will benefit from the initiative, as the nationwide validation process for 800,000 applicants officially kicks off.
Speaking on Friday, October 24, 2025, during a visit to one of the validation stations of Chepkanga Moiben Sub-County, Uasin Gishu County, Susan Auma Mang’eni, the Principal Secretary in the State Department for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME), said the ongoing exercise aims to eliminate ineligible applicants and ensure that only qualified youth benefit from the programme.
“This process will help us isolate those who are not eligible and ensure fairness in the allocation of funds,” Mang’eni said.
The announcement comes as hundreds of youths in Kajiado County throng various verification centres for the NYOTA program amid rising unemployment concerns.
According to Mang’eni, more than two million young people across the country applied for the NYOTA programme. She explained that the validation process is crucial in identifying those who meet the eligibility criteria.
The PS further noted that the programme will also create over 1,000 new jobs, helping to tackle unemployment among Kenyan youth.
Hitches delay validation
Mang’eni announced that the validation exercise, which was initially scheduled to conclude tonight, has been extended to tomorrow due to technical hitches experienced with the validation gadgets.
Once the process concludes, qualified applicants will be contacted for a four-day training session, which will equip them with essential business and financial management skills.
Mang’eni also revealed that 50 per cent of the funds will be disbursed in the first quarter, after which mentors will be assigned to monitor and guide the youth. The remaining funds will then be released to those who demonstrate proper business management as per the programme’s requirements.
“We are committed to ensuring that this initiative not only empowers our young people but also promotes sustainable entrepreneurship,” she added.
The NYOTA programme is part of the government’s broader agenda to support youth entrepreneurship, job creation, and MSME growth across the country.
According to a statement by the State Department for Youth Affairs and the Creative Economy, the exercise aims to confirm the authenticity and eligibility of pre-selected applicants who had earlier received official invitations to participate.
“The main objective is to verify the authenticity and eligibility of applicants to generate a final, definitive list of 100,000 youth beneficiaries for the Business Support grant,” the department said in a statement posted on X.