KSH168M NYOTA START-UP FUND TO EMPOWER YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS IN MERU, EMBU AND THARAKA-NITHI COUNTIES

President William Ruto presided over the launch of the Sh168 million National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Business Start-Up Capital disbursement for young entrepreneurs from Meru, Embu, and Tharaka Nithi counties at Kinoru Stadium in Meru County. Speaking during the event, President Ruto reiterated that the NYOTA project is a classic example of how the government can be run efficiently through transparency, integrity, and accountability. Through this transformative and corruption-free programme, he added, we are creating employment, fostering entrepreneurship, and instilling a saving culture in our young people. “We will progressively reach out to every young person in every part of our country to make their lives better through this programme,” President Ruto said. Deputy President Professor Kithure Kindiki said the programme specifically targets youth who did not access higher education, describing it as a government grant, not a loan. He noted at least 90,000 young people would benefit through skills training, certification and direct support, insisting that allocation would be non-discriminatory. The funds disbursed during the event will benefit 6,720 young entrepreneurs from the three counties, with each beneficiary receiving Sh25,000 in the first phase, Sh22,000 of which will be credited directly to the beneficiary’s Pochi la Biashara account to boost or start a business. The remaining Sh3,000 will be channeled into the Haba Haba Savings Account managed by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). The Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, Salim Mvurya, applauded the Government’s people-centred approach, noting that the NYOTA Project reflects the true spirit of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) by ensuring that youth who would otherwise be left behind are given equal opportunities to participate in nation-building. The Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and MSMEs Development,t Wycliffe Oparanya, informed beneficiaries of additional enterprise support mechanisms available under the Ministry, including the Hustler Fund, Uwezo Fund, Kenya Industrial Estates (KIE), and the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA), which are designed to support business growth and sustainability. Under the second phase of the NYOTA Start-Up Capital Disbursement, beneficiaries will receive an additional Sh25,000, bringing the total start-up capital for each beneficiary to Sh50,000. The President was accompanied by senior government officials as well as politicians from the three Counties including Governor Cecily Mbarire (Embu), Muthomi Njuki (Tharaka Nithi), and Isaac Mutuma (Meru).