NYOTA Programme Hits 99% Business Uptake As Second Phase Begins
Officials said more than 5,500 mentors were deployed during the first phase, guiding beneficiaries through site visits, business coaching and peer learning, with 97 percent completing the mentorship programme.
By Suleiman Mbatiah
Nearly all participants in the government-backed NYOTA entrepreneurship programme have moved into business, with 99 percent already establishing enterprises, even as authorities schedule a nationwide second training phase required to unlock additional funding.
The programme, implemented across all 1,450 wards, has supported youth enterprises through mentorship, training and start-up capital, targeting over 100,000 vulnerable young people nationwide with structured business development interventions.
Official records show that more than 5,500 mentors were deployed during the first phase, guiding beneficiaries through site visits, business coaching and peer learning, with 97 percent completing the mentorship programme.
“The mentorship phase has demonstrated strong entrepreneurial commitment among beneficiaries, with high participation and rapid business uptake across the country,” said Principal Secretary Susan Mang’eni.
Data further shows that 84 percent of participants are first-time entrepreneurs with less than one year of experience, highlighting the need for continued technical support and structured business training to improve sustainability.
Government figures indicate that the NYOTA initiative is designed as a multi-phase intervention, combining financial support with skills development, mentorship and savings mobilisation to strengthen long-term youth enterprise growth.
Under the programme, beneficiaries receive an initial KSh25,000 grant, with KSh22,000 allocated for business operations and KSh3,000 committed to savings, reinforcing financial discipline alongside enterprise development.
Authorities have now scheduled a second round of classroom-based business skills training beginning April 20, targeting beneficiaries who completed mentorship and requiring full attendance as a condition for accessing the next tranche of funding.
The second phase is expected to address gaps identified during mentorship while strengthening business management capacity, as the government seeks to improve survival rates of youth-led enterprises through continuous support mechanisms.
The NYOTA Project, a five-year government initiative, aims to reach up to 820,000 unemployed and underemployed youth across all 47 counties through entrepreneurship, skills training and financial inclusion programmes.
“Full attendance and participation in the second business skills training is mandatory for beneficiaries to receive the second tranche of start-up capital,” the PS stated, emphasizing that continued participation remains key to unlocking full benefits under the programme.
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