Following the Presidential launch of the NYOTA Project in Mumias, Kakamega County where KSh 303,875,000 was disbursed to 12,155 young entrepreneurs, the project’s entrepreneurship support under Component 2, implemented by the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA), has now entered nationwide scale-up, with Entrepreneurship and Business Development Skills (BDS) Training now rolled out in twenty-five additional counties.
This scale-up is a step in empowering youth across the country with the practical tools needed to build sustainable and competitive enterprises. Over the past week, the training has reached beneficiaries in 151 constituencies. The mandatory four-day curriculum equips the youth with practical competencies in financial management, record keeping, business planning, marketing, and resilience-building strategies. These training sessions are intentionally designed to strengthen the ventures that beneficiaries are either starting or seeking to expand, ensuring they are well positioned for long-term growth.
With this expanded rollout, MSEA continues to drive the project’s vision of enabling young entrepreneurs to build viable businesses, create jobs, and contribute meaningfully to Kenya’s economic development.
Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and MSMEs Development, Hon. Dr. Wycliffe Oparanya, visits Turbo and Soy constituencies to monitor NYOTA BDS training.
The scale-up has been accompanied by high-level monitoring and support from government officials and project leadership. In Uasin Gishu County, the Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and MSMEs Development, Hon. Dr. Wycliffe Oparanya, visited Turbo and Soy Constituencies, where he interacted with trainees and assessed the progress of the ongoing sessions. He encouraged beneficiaries to focus on business ideas they understand well and to apply the discipline and consistency needed to grow their ventures. He also emphasized the importance of mentorship, association-building, and participation in market exposure platforms such as the EAC Trade Fair, noting that even small enterprises can become transformative with the right guidance and commitment.
In Meru County, MSEA Board Director Ms. Margaret Gitonga led oversight visits to various training centres, urging youth to build strong peer support networks and to actively promote one another’s businesses. Her engagements highlighted the value of collaboration, financial discipline, and strategic planning in strengthening young entrepreneurs’ pathways to success.
Training activities across the counties have focused on developing vital competencies such as entrepreneurial mindset, financial literacy, investment readiness, and market linkage strategies. Beneficiaries who have completed the BDS sessions will now move into a two-month mentorship phase, which will provide closer, hands-on guidance from experienced professionals. As part of strengthening financial responsibility, the project has a savings component, aimed at helping youth build a safety net for their emerging enterprises.
The NYOTA Project targets to reach 820,000 young people across all 47 counties, including beneficiaries in Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps and surrounding host communities.
NYOTA BDS training in Meru County.
As the scale-up progresses, the remaining counties are expected to begin their BDS training sessions in the coming weeks. The rollout in the 25 counties marks a significant step forward in strengthening youth enterprises across Kenya. Through structured training, mentorship, and financial support, the NYOTA Project continues to empower young people to build sustainable businesses, create jobs, and contribute meaningfully to the country’s economic transformation.
