President William Ruto recently announced the roll-out of the Nyota Programme, an initiative aimed at improving the livelihoods of young people in the country.
Ruto mandated all principal secretaries in the government to spearhead nationwide sensitization forums on Nyota (National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement) beginning Monday, October 6, 2025.
The move has seen various leaders in Ruto’s administration come out to encourage youths across the country to apply for the programme to support their financial progress.
Nyota is a 5-year initiative whose aim is to offer training on business development skills, provide access to internship opportunities, and deliver startup capital for eligible youth.
How to Access Nyota Funds
Young Kenyans can apply for the Nyota Programme by dialing the short code *254# and following the prompts.
Under the prompts, one will find: apply for Nyota project, terms and conditions, and know more. From there, one can opt for business support, on-the-job experience, or recognition of prior experience.
For those seeking startup capital, every qualified young person will get Ksh 50,000 to start their own businesses.
The government, in partnership with the World Bank, has set aside Ksh 5 billion for the project to support economic growth across the country.
“The initiative will provide Ksh 50,000 grants to each of the 70 young people selected from each of our country’s 1,450 wards, enabling them to launch business ventures,” President Ruto stated during a meeting with principal secretaries on October 3 at State House, Nairobi.
Regarding the deadline for Nyota applications, interested individuals can start applying for the programme from October 6 to October 12, 2025. It will equip them with skills, certification, and business capital to support their financial growth.
Who can benefit from the Nyota Programme?
The programme targets young Kenyans who hold a high school certificate or lower academic qualification, are not currently benefiting from any other government-funded support initiative, and fall within the 18-29 years age bracket. However, for persons with disabilities, the age limit extends to 35 years.
Applicants should also be unemployed to qualify for the Nyota programme funds. Additionally, young people in refugee camps in Garissa and Turkana can also apply to the Nyota programme.
The Nyota initiative comes as an addition to the government’s efforts to improve livelihoods across the country, after earlier launching the Hustler Fund and Climate WorX projects.
Kenyans in various parts of the country showed up at different Nyota awareness forums to learn more about the programme.
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