6/2/2026- At the Mombasa ASK Showground, H.E. Dr. William Samoei Ruto, accompanied by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, presided over the NYOTA Business Start-Up Capital Disbursement for beneficiaries drawn from Mombasa, Kwale, and Taita Taveta counties. More than 4,000 young entrepreneurs are transitioning from training to enterprise activation under the NYOTA Project, following completion of a mandatory business skills training focused on enterprise development, financial management, and sustainable growth. The disbursement enables beneficiaries to operationalize business ideas, strengthen livelihoods, and contribute to local economic activity across the coastal region.
Speaking during the event, Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya underscored the project’s evolution from the Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project (KYEOP), which covered 17 counties, to NYOTA’s nationwide reach across all 47 counties expanding opportunity, inclusion, and impact. He encouraged beneficiaries to leverage additional government financing avenues, including the Hustler Fund, Uwezo Fund, Youth Fund, Women Enterprise Fund, and the Kenya Development Corporation, to scale enterprises and create jobs.
Principal Secretary Susan Mang’eni emphasized that the disbursement marks the beginning of an entrepreneurial journey, highlighting an upcoming two-month mentorship programme designed to connect beneficiaries to markets and financial institutions. She urged youth to apply business management skills acquired during training, particularly in record-keeping, stock control, and profit tracking.
As a national intervention reaching youth in every ward, the NYOTA Project integrates skills development, start-up capital, mentorship, savings culture, market linkages, and pathways to further financing. Through this coordinated approach, the initiative is expanding employment opportunities, strengthening youth-led enterprises, and placing young people at the centre of Kenya’s economic transformation.
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