Meru County, 22nd Jan 2026– Kinoru Stadium came alive with optimism and anticipation as thousands of young entrepreneurs from Meru, Embu and Tharaka Nithi Counties gathered for the NYOTA Project Business Start-Up Capital Disbursement, presided over by H.E. Dr. William Ruto, CGH, President of the Republic of Kenya.
MSEA CEO Mr. Henry Rithaa receives the President, at Kinoru stadium for the Business Capital disbursement ceremony.
Under the Business Support Component of the NYOTA Project, more than 4,500 youth from the 3 counties received business start-up capital aimed at turning viable business ideas into income-generating enterprises. Beneficiaries of the support had successfully completed a mandatory three-day business skills training designed to equip them with foundational entrepreneurial and financial management skills, ensuring they are better prepared to start, manage and grow their businesses.
In the first phase of support, each beneficiary receives KSh 25,000, with KSh 22,000 credited directly to their Pochi la Biashara account to enable immediate business start-up or expansion. An additional KSh 3,000 is channelled into the NSSF Haba na Haba Savings Account, reinforcing a culture of saving and promoting long-term financial resilience among young entrepreneurs. A second phase of disbursement will provide an additional KSh 25,000 per beneficiary, bringing the total start-up capital support to KSh 50,000 per youth.
Speaking during the ceremony, President Ruto encouraged the youth to believe in the power of small beginnings, noting that entrepreneurship remains a key driver of job creation, innovation and inclusive economic growth. He reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to supporting youth-led enterprises as a cornerstone of Kenya’s economic transformation agenda.
H.E Dr. William Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya making his remarks, in Meru County.
Beyond the provision of business capital, the NYOTA Project represents a holistic approach to youth empowerment. The programme integrates business and life skills training, mentorship, skills certification, on-the-job experience, savings mobilisation and access to government procurement opportunities. Through this comprehensive framework, NYOTA aims to equip young people not only with financial resources, but also with the skills, confidence and opportunities needed to thrive in a competitive economy.
The project is on course to reach up to 820,000 youth nationwide, positioning it among the largest youth-focused empowerment initiatives in the country. Under the Business Support Component, NYOTA targets to empower over 100,000 youth through an equitable ward-based approach that ensures fair distribution across all 1,450 wards, reaching at least 70 young entrepreneurs per ward.
The Meru ceremony also highlighted strong collaboration between the national and county governments. In a show of solidarity with young entrepreneurs, the Governors of Meru, Embu and Tharaka Nithi Counties announced licence fee waivers for NYOTA beneficiaries, easing the cost of entry into business and enabling youth to formalise and operationalise their enterprises more easily.
NYOTA: Kuza. Imarisha. Endeleza Vijana.
