President William Ruto has announced that the interview process to select 100,000 young Kenyans for a KSh 50,000 business grant under the NYOTA project begins on Monday, October 13, 2025. The initiative is a KSh 5 billion joint program between the Kenyan government and the World Bank.
Here are the key details of the program and the selection process.
Feature Details
Program Name National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Project
Total Funding KSh 5 billion
Total Beneficiaries 100,000 youth
Grant Amount KSh 50,000 per beneficiary
Ward Allocation 70 youth from each of Kenya’s 1,450 wards
Interview Start Date Monday, October 13, 2025
Application Method Via USSD code *254#
🗓️ More About the NYOTA Program
Program Goal: The NYOTA project is designed to tackle youth unemployment by empowering young Kenyans to start and grow small enterprises. It provides startup capital in the form of a grant, not a loan.
Target Audience: The program specifically targets jobless and vulnerable youth aged 18 to 29 (up to 35 for Persons with Disabilities) who have a Form Four level of education or below.
Comprehensive Support: Besides the grant, beneficiaries will undergo short-term training in practical trades like carpentry, welding, and tailoring. They will also receive mentorship and be enrolled in the NSSF ‘Haba Haba’ savings scheme to build a savings culture.
Eligibility Note: The government has stated that individuals who have defaulted on the Hustler Fund will not be eligible for the NYOTA grant unless they first clear their outstanding debts.
📢 Official Announcement and Context
President Ruto made the announcement regarding the start of interviews on Sunday, October 12, 2025, during a church event at the Kasarani Gymnasium in Nairobi. He stated, “Tomorrow in every sub-county in Kenya, we will begin identifying 100,000 young people because we want to use their energy, talent and expertise to transform our nation”.
This initiative is part of a broader KSh 33 billion allocation under the NYOTA and Kenya Jobs and Economic Transformation (KJET) projects aimed at reducing unemployment.
I hope this gives you a clear picture of this national youth empowerment initiative. Would you like more details on the specific trades covered in the training program?
