By James Murimi - Reporter
Kenya, 22 January 2026 - President William Ruto on Thursday presided over the launch of the KSh 168 million National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Business Start-Up Capital disbursement targeting young entrepreneurs from Meru, Embu and Tharaka Nithi counties, in a move aimed at accelerating youth enterprise and job creation.
The funds will benefit 6,720 youth drawn from the three counties, with each beneficiary receiving seed capital to either start or expand small businesses.
Under the first phase of the programme, each beneficiary will receive KSh 25,000.
Of this amount, Sh22,000 will be credited directly to the beneficiary’s Pochi la Biashara account to support business operations, while the remaining KSh 3,000 will be deposited into a Haba na Haba savings account managed by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
The savings component is designed to encourage a culture of financial discipline and long-term social security among young entrepreneurs.
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In the second phase of the NYOTA Start-Up Capital Disbursement, beneficiaries will receive an additional KSh 25,000, bringing the total start-up capital per individual to KSh 50,000.
The NYOTA programme is part of the government’s broader youth empowerment agenda, which seeks to address unemployment by supporting entrepreneurship, financial inclusion and sustainable livelihoods across the country.
