The National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Project has outlined the next steps for more than 122,000 youth who received government start-up capital on July 10, 2026.
In a statement on August 7, the Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Susan Mang’eni, stated that a mandatory mentorship programme will start on Monday, August 10, 2026, with 4,879 mentors engaged across the country to support the beneficiaries.
Each beneficiary will be assigned a mentor who is an experienced business practitioner and will handle no more than 20 mentees.
“The Business Support beneficiaries are now scheduled to commence mentorship sessions beginning this coming Monday, 10th August 2026, and over 4,879 mentors have been engaged across the country to undertake the exercise,” read part of the statement.
According to NYOTA, the mentorship sessions will include business site visits, cross-peer mentorship, business case experiences, coaching, counselling and market linkages.
Another phase of the programme will involve the rollout of Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) training, scheduled for next month.
The ministry said completion of the mentorship sessions will be mandatory for beneficiaries to qualify for the next level of support.
The beneficiaries received the start-up capital grants on July 10 under the Business Support component, which provides young people with resources to launch and grow their enterprises.
As part of the next phase, the government has started developing innovative and blended financing growth products to enable NYOTA Business Support beneficiaries to access enhanced financing from government catalytic funds.
The move follows President William Ruto’s directive to expand access to financing for NYOTA beneficiaries during the disbursement of the start-up capital last month.
In addition, the government is working with county governments to develop a framework for implementing business licence waivers, which will give NYOTA beneficiaries better access to markets and viable trading spaces.
What the Training Will Target
The training will target more than 600,000 young entrepreneurs and is intended to increase their uptake of government procurement opportunities.
Under the On-the-Job Experience (OJE) component, Socio-Emotional Skills Development (SESD) training is currently ongoing in 18 counties.
The counties are Isiolo, Marsabit, Laikipia, Samburu, Turkana, Baringo, Nandi, West Pokot, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Trans Nzoia, Lamu, Mombasa, Kilifi, Garissa, Mandera, Wajir and Tana River.
Upon successful completion of the SESD training, beneficiaries will transition into a five-month apprenticeship programme under experienced master craftsmen and employers.
The apprenticeship will provide beneficiaries with practical, hands-on industry experience, mentorship and occupational skills aimed at improving their employability and preparing them for sustainable livelihoods.
The ministry urged all Business Support beneficiaries to participate fully in the mentorship sessions, noting that completion is a requirement for the next level of support.
Under the NYOTA programme, each eligible young entrepreneur received up to KSh50,000, disbursed in phases.
The allocation included KSh 22,000 deposited into mobile business wallets such as Pochi La Biashara and KSh3,000 directed to NSSF savings accounts.
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