The government has assured the National Assembly that the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Project is on course with its official launch slated on 18th September 2025.
Appearing before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives & MSMEs Development, Wycliffe Oparanya noted that the NYOTA project has already received over 1.4 million applications via the USSD *254# platform earlier this year.
“180,000 applicants have been shortlisted through a fair randomisation process and are currently undertaking an online aptitude test before final selection.” Said Oparanya.
Adding that: “Of these shortlisted applicants, 46% are women and 26,000 are people with disabilities.”
During the hearing, CS Oparanya was joined by the Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports and Creative Economy Salim Mvurya, MSMEs Principal Secretary Susan Mang’eni and the Principal Secretary for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy Fikirini Jacobs.
The team led by CS Oparanya told the Committee that Component 2 of the project, implemented by the Micro and Small Enterprise Authority MSEA under the State Department for MSME Development, aims to provide young people with entrepreneurial training, business development skills, and start-up capital.
Additionally the project will support 70 youth in every ward with a seed capital of Ksh 50,000.
According to the ministry, the phased rollout will benefit a first cohort of 54,000 of the selected applicants immediately after the project launches, followed by two additional cohorts.
The project is further expected to generate employment or self-employment for 90,000 young people through apprenticeships and mentorship programmes, enroll 190,000 individuals into the NSSF “Haba Haba” savings scheme, equip 600,000 youth digitally using catalytic funds and AGPO opportunities, and certify 4,000 individuals with technical skills through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
