Government Unveils Ksh5 Billion Nyota Program to Empower 820,000 Youth Nationwide

The government has launched a Ksh5 billion youth empowerment initiative, dubbed the Nyota Program, aimed at uplifting young people across Kenya through entrepreneurship, skills development, and job creation.

The nationwide rollout, which officially kicked off this week, targets to empower 820,000 youth across 1,450 wards, with a strong focus on individuals aged 18 to 29 years. The program seeks to tackle unemployment by providing business start-up support, vocational training, and mentorship opportunities.

According to the Ministry of Youth Affairs, at least 100,000 youth will receive direct financial and technical support to establish small and medium-sized enterprises under the initiative’s first phase.

Principal Secretaries from various ministries have been dispatched to counties to meet local administrators and community leaders as part of efforts to sensitize the public and ensure a smooth implementation of the program.

“The Nyota Program is about giving our youth a fair chance — a chance to dream, to build, and to lead. We are not just creating jobs; we are building futures,” one PS said during a county sensitization forum.

The initiative forms part of the government’s broader youth empowerment agenda under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which prioritizes inclusion, innovation, and sustainable livelihoods for young people.

Local leaders have welcomed the rollout, describing it as a timely intervention that could help curb rising youth unemployment and promote entrepreneurship at the grassroots.

The program’s second phase, expected in 2026, will expand to include digital skills training and innovation hubs in every county.