President William Ruto on Friday, July 10, 2026, launched the second phase of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme’s business support component, with the government disbursing more than KSh 3 billion to over 122,000 young entrepreneurs.
Each beneficiary received KSh 25,000 in the latest tranche. With the second payment, every participant will now have received a total of KSh 50,000 to start or expand a business, a move the President said makes NYOTA one of Kenya’s largest investments in youth enterprise.
“Thousands of small businesses across the country have been given the much-needed financial boost to expand and thrive,” President Ruto said, adding that “This was abundantly clear from the uplifting stories of success told from every corner of the country.”
The Head of State said the results disprove critics who argued that KSh25,000 or KSh50,000 was “too small to do anything.”
Directives Ruto issued in July 2026 over NYOTA fund
To strengthen support for the beneficiaries, President Ruto issued three new directives: He directed the Ministry of Co-operatives and MSMEs Development to establish a national NYOTA identification mechanism to enable beneficiaries to access government services and incentives seamlessly.
In addition, government financing institutions — the Youth Enterprise Development Fund, Uwezo Fund, Women Enterprise Fund and Kenya Industrial Estates — have been ordered to create a dedicated “NYOTA Growth Product” to provide further financing to enterprises.
The President further urged the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council and county governments to consider a two-year business permit waiver for NYOTA beneficiaries.
The NYOTA programme is part of the government’s strategy to support youth-led businesses and expand access to capital for micro and small enterprises. The second phase disbursement brings the total funds released under the business support component to over Sh6 billion since the programme began.
