By M, KNA
The government has stepped up efforts to ensure more youth enroll into the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme, a national initiative aimed at equipping the youth with job experience, entrepreneurship skills, and a culture of savings to enhance self-reliance and reduce future dependence on social welfare.
Addressing a sensitization meeting in Kisumu on Monday, Principal Secretary (PS) for the State Department for Children`s Welfare and Services, Carren Akeng`o Achieng`o urged the youth in Kisumu to seize the opportunity, saying the government’s goal is to nurture a generation that is financially independent, skilled, and entrepreneurial.
The registration period has been scheduled for six days between Monday, October 6 to 12 after which the system will automatically close and authentication of applicants begin on October 17.
Once registration closes, a physical validation exercise will be held across all constituencies on October 17 to verify applicants’ details and confirm their presence on the ground.
“We want to confirm that applicants are genuine and that they are truly based where they claim to be, and that they have a business mindset,” Ms. Akeng`o stated, noting that during a similar exercise in Busia in March this year, half of those who had registered failed to show up for training.
The process will include an entrepreneurship aptitude test to assess participants’ readiness to run small businesses.
Akeng`o said the programme provides beneficiaries with a monthly stipend of Sh.6,000 for six months as they undergo practical training in sectors such as affordable housing and road construction.
“This programme is not just about getting Sh.6, 000,” she said. “It’s about learning, saving, and preparing for a future where you can stand on your own.”
“As you learn, you’ll be getting Sh6,000, and 12 per cent of it will be saved in the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) for posterity and this is also part of encouraging saving culture as saving helps you take care of your own social protection so that in future, government does not have to support you with a cash transfer when you are old,” the PS said.
She said the project leverages Kenya’s strong mobile technology network to ensure fair and transparent access for youth across the country.
Registration is done digitally and is free of charge through the USSD code *254#, with applicants required to use their personal mobile numbers for verification.
“Everyone will register through their phone, and we have partnered with Safaricom to help validate information such as ID and phone ownership,” she explained. “Don’t use another person’s phone because the system will detect it.”
The PS observed that that although the first phase of registration was rolled out in March this year, uptake has been uneven across wards, with some failing to meet the target of 70 applicants.
She added that the programme had also fallen short of achieving the desired 50-50 gender balance and inclusivity of persons with disabilities.
To address these gaps, Ms. Akeng`o announced the government has decided to reopen the registration portal for one week, giving unregistered youth another chance to enroll before the window closes at midnight on October 12.
“We are calling on chiefs, local administrators, and community leaders to help us mobilize more young women and persons with disabilities to register,” she said. “Imagine the government is giving you a second chance,” she said. “We want every ward to have equal representation and no youth left behind.”
NYOTA is a project of the GOK, in partnership with the World Bank where Sh.5billion has been set aside to empower the youth.
Through this initiative, the government aims to support the creation of 110,000 youth-led enterprises, certify 20,000 artisans through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) initiative, skill and connect 90,000 youth to employment opportunities, and train 600,000 on government procurement opportunities and financial literacy.
About 100, 000 youths from all the 1,450 wards in the country will benefit from this programme where each ward will have 70 beneficiaries who will be selected competitively and in affirmative manner.
After selection, beneficiaries will be expected to attend a four-day business services training, after which they will receive KES 50,000 in start-up capital.
NYOTA aims at boosting employment and incomes for vulnerable youth by providing skills development, entrepreneurship support, mentorship, and access to enterprise equipment and funding.
The project distributes equipment like sewing machines, posho mills, and welding machines to groups in various sectors to promote innovation and formalize businesses.
Its objective is to increase employment, income, and savings among targeted vulnerable youth in Kenya and targets vulnerable youth aged 18-29, and up to 35 for Persons with Disabilities, including refugees in specific counties.
Kenya churns over one million youth into the labour market every year where the Government only absorbs a mere 200,000.
The country is a youthful nation with more that 16 million people not in any form of employment, spiking up poverty levels.
Data from World Bank shows over 3.4million young people below the age of 35 are not engaged in any form of employment and this is the population that this program is targeting.
