Kisii: More than 29,000 youth across Kisii County have registered for the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Project, State Department for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Principal Secretary Stephen Isaboke has said. The NYOTA initiative is aimed at empowering young people through entrepreneurship, training and financial support.
According to Kenya News Agency, the response has been overwhelming, with 804,000 registrations recorded nationwide, and Kisii County accounting for about 29,979 applicants. The ongoing validation exercise is crucial to ensuring that beneficiaries are genuine, locally distributed and meet the project's criteria. Applicants are required to present their National Identity Cards (IDs) for authentication and answer a few questions to confirm their eligibility and commitment to the project.
After verification, applicants will be required to take the Entrepreneurship Aptitude Test (EAT) as a mandatory requirement for the final selection, to assess their business potential and readiness for self-employment. The government has allocated Sh20 billion for the NYOTA Project, with the first Sh5 billion released for Phase One, and subsequent disbursements to follow. After the screening, 3,150 successful applicants in Kisii will receive a Sh50,000 grant each to start and expand small businesses.
The initiative is not just about money but about building a culture of entrepreneurship and resilience among young people. The huge turnout and enthusiasm reflect the youth's readiness to embrace opportunities for economic empowerment. The success of the NYOTA project would be critical in ensuring that similar initiatives are rolled out in the future.
Young people are urged to remain open-minded and take advantage of multiple government initiatives, including labour mobility programmes that facilitate employment abroad. So far, over 400,000 youth have secured jobs in countries such as Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Canada through government-led partnerships. The government reaffirms its commitment to empowering youth through entrepreneurship skills development and job placement to ensure no willing young person is left behind.
The NYOTA project is a 5-year initiative by the Government of Kenya, funded by the World Bank, aimed at transforming the lives of vulnerable youth.