NYOTA: Ruto sets verification date before disbursement of Ksh50K to youth
President William Ruto has announced that a nationwide verification exercise will take place this Friday, October 24, 2025, in every constituency to identify 100,000 youths who will benefit from the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme.
Each selected youth will receive a Ksh50,000 grant to support their business ventures and promote entrepreneurship among young Kenyans.
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Speaking during Mashujaa Day celebrations in Kitui on Monday, October 20, 2025, President Ruto said the government’s goal is to ensure the program reaches hardworking young people who are already engaged in business.
“There will be a verification exercise in every constituency this Friday, October 24, 2025, to determine the 100K youths who will receive a Ksh50,000 grant under the NYOTA Programme,” he said.
Ruto further called on leaders across the country to work together in ensuring that deserving youths are identified. “Ijumaa, Friday, hii inakuja, katika kila constituency tunafanya verification ya vijana amabao wako na biashara ili tuwasaidie na pesa muweze kuinua biashara zenu ndio sote tuungane tufukuze umaskini katika nchi yetu ya Kenya. I am asking that in this verification, we are looking at 100,000 people. I want to ask all leaders, tusaidiane ili vijana ambao wanfaa kupata hii pesa tuwatambulishe ndio tuinue hali ya uchumi,” the President stated.
How the NYOTA programme will work
The Principal Secretary of the State Department of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development, Susan Mang’eni, on October 14, 2025, explained the process that beneficiaries will go through before receiving the grant.
She said that all successful applicants will undergo a comprehensive business development training lasting about four months.
“It begins by subjecting you to training, a comprehensive business development. So, like, you undergo classroom training as well as a mentorship for a period of time, almost four months,” PS Mang’eni said in an interview with a local media house.
She further revealed that all applicants will take an entrepreneurial aptitude test to gauge their business mindset. “But even before you’re selected, so everybody applies, you’ll be subjected to an entrepreneurial aptitude test, just to gauge your business mind and your business intent,” she said.
After completing the training, the entrepreneurs will receive half of the grant first, while the remaining 50 per cent will be given later.
