Nyota Programme: Everything to know about Ksh25K each Kenyan will get in second disbursement

More than 122,000 young Kenyans are set to receive the second phase of business start-up capital under the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Programme, with President William Ruto announcing on Monday, July 6, 2026, that the nationwide disbursement will be launched on Friday, July 10, 2026.

According to the head of state, the second disbursement will see beneficiaries receive Ksh25,000 each, bringing the total amount disbursed under the programme to Ksh50,000 per beneficiary.

“With the launch of the Ksh3 billion second tranche of the business support component for the 122,000 beneficiaries, each beneficiary will receive Ksh25,000,” Ruto said.

What is the NYOTA programme?

The NYOTA Programme is a five-year youth empowerment initiative implemented by the Government of Kenya in partnership with the World Bank.

The programme seeks to tackle youth unemployment by equipping young people with entrepreneurship skills, business grants, apprenticeship opportunities, recognition of prior learning, mentorship and job placement support.

The programme began implementation in March 2025 and attracted two million applications under its Business Support Component, highlighting the high demand for youth enterprise funding across the country.

How the first disbursement worked

The first phase of the business start-up capital was rolled out in November 2025, with beneficiaries receiving the funds in clusters across different counties before expanding nationwide.

Each successful beneficiary was allocated Ksh25,000. However, Ksh22,000 was deposited into the beneficiary’s Pochi la Biashara mobile wallet to support business operations, while Ksh3,000 was automatically saved under the NSSF Haba Haba savings scheme to encourage a savings culture among young entrepreneurs.

Government monitoring later showed that more than 99 per cent of beneficiaries had started businesses after receiving the first grant and undergoing business development training and mentorship.

Why the second disbursement delayed

The second disbursement had initially been expected earlier this year but was delayed after the government revised the programme’s implementation model.

According to the State Department for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development, the government opted to enrol all targeted beneficiaries at once instead of implementing the project in three separate intakes. The move created budgetary pressure, resulting in delays before additional funding was secured.

Ruto also noted that beneficiaries have already completed business development skills training ahead of the latest Ksh3 billion disbursement.

He added that the launch will take place simultaneously at 18 venues across the country, bringing together beneficiaries from all 47 counties.

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