By James Murimi - Reporter
Kenya, July 10, 2026 - President William Ruto has launched a spirited defence of his administration's flagship youth empowerment programme after the Government released more than Sh3 billion to over 122,000 young entrepreneurs, arguing that critics have underestimated the transformative power of small business capital.
The President used Friday's second phase of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Business Start-up Programme to challenge opponents who have dismissed the Sh25,000 grants as inadequate, insisting that many of the world's biggest businesses started with modest investments.
"When we launched the NYOTA Enterprise Programme, some questioned whether Sh25,000 could truly make a difference," Ruto said.
"Every great enterprise was once a small one. Every successful entrepreneur was once a beginner."
The latest disbursement saw 88,934 beneficiaries receive a second Sh25,000 grant after successfully investing their initial allocation, increasing their total support to Sh50,000. A further 33,269 first-time beneficiaries received Sh25,000 each, bringing the total number of youths supported in the latest phase to more than 122,000 across all 47 counties.
Seeking to strengthen the programme, the President announced that all NYOTA-supported businesses will be exempted from paying county business permit fees for two years, saying the move will allow young enterprises to stabilise before taking on additional operating costs.
He directed the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council to engage county governments on implementing the waiver and instructed the Ministry of Cooperatives and MSMEs Development to establish a national NYOTA identification system to help beneficiaries access government incentives, services and affordable financing.
"Young businesses deserve the opportunity to establish themselves before bearing the full cost of compliance," the President said.
The latest intervention comes as the Kenya Kwanza administration intensifies efforts to tackle rising youth unemployment by promoting entrepreneurship instead of reliance on formal jobs.
Speaking simultaneously in Nakuru, Deputy President Prof Kithure Kindiki said NYOTA was specifically designed for young people aged between 18 and 29 who are unable to secure university education or formal employment.
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He said the programme has been structured to ensure equity, with half of all beneficiaries being women, half men and five per cent reserved for persons with disabilities.
Prof Kindiki revealed that 4,100 youths in Nakuru County benefited from the latest disbursement, while 2,900 beneficiaries received grants in Baringo and 1,900 in Nyandarua.
He said the initiative goes beyond providing start-up capital by offering industrial attachments to 90,000 young people, Recognition of Prior Learning certification for skilled workers without formal qualifications and support for more than 6,000 youths seeking access to government procurement opportunities.
"Our young people were never waiting for handouts. They were waiting for an opportunity. And when opportunity meets determination, ambition becomes enterprise; enterprise creates jobs; jobs support families. Strong families build a strong nation," Prof Kindiki said.
He also dismissed criticism that the grants are too small to transform businesses, challenging sceptics to propose better alternatives.
"I have heard some people say that KSh22,000 is too little, but if you think this is little money, please come and help us provide more. For the time being, we are grateful, but in future we will expand this grant so that it can be larger than it is at the moment," he said.
The NYOTA programme has become one of the Government's flagship economic empowerment initiatives, with the latest rollout signalling a renewed push by President Ruto's administration to showcase its job creation agenda ahead of the 2027 General Election.