Nakuru: The County Government of Nakuru has declared a two-year waiver of business licences for all beneficiaries of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Project operating within the devolved unit. Governor Susan Kihika said the waiver aims to reduce the cost of doing business for young entrepreneurs benefiting from the NYOTA programme, which provides a Sh50,000 business grant to help them start and grow their enterprises.
According to Kenya News Agency, Governor Kihika reaffirmed her government’s support for the NYOTA Project and pledged additional interventions, including access to the Wezesha Fund, an allocation of county government stalls, and opportunities under the Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) framework. In a speech read on her behalf by Deputy County Secretary Newton Mwaura, the governor expressed gratitude for the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention to address youth unemployment.
The waiver is expected to motivate new entrepreneurs, with the County set to collect data and contacts of all beneficiaries to ensure the smooth implementation of the initiative. Deputy County Secretary Mwaura delivered the governor’s speech at London Ward, within Nakuru West Sub-County, during the close of a four-day Business Development Skills (BDS) training for NYOTA beneficiaries. This training was mandatory for eligibility for the grant, meant to support youth-led start-ups.
Governor Kihika urged NYOTA beneficiaries to responsibly use the funds to improve their socio-economic well-being and pledged continued support for entrepreneurs through the low-interest Wezesha Fund. She emphasized that the waiver would provide a solid foundation for young entrepreneurs as they embark on their journey to economic empowerment.
The governor committed her administration to supporting the national government’s initiative to empower young Kenyans through entrepreneurship, education, and skills development. This includes creating sustainable employment and innovation pathways across the 11 Sub-Counties. Deputy County Secretary Mwaura noted that training youth in entrepreneurship before providing funding was essential for building sustainable businesses and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset.
Area NYOTA Coordinator Esther Macharia disclosed that about 4,000 youths from all 55 wards in the County had been trained on financial literacy, digital business tools, branding and marketing, business registration, opportunity identification, mentorship, leadership, and teamwork. She stated that the government was keen on fulfilling four pillars of the youth agenda: entrepreneurship, skills development, labour mobility, and digital innovation.
The NYOTA programme aims to empower young people who did not have the opportunity to further their education beyond primary school, as well as Persons Living with Disabilities (PWDs) and women. It targets 820,000 vulnerable youths across all wards in the country, noting that unemployment continues to affect many young people, including refugees. The programme focuses on youths aged between 18 and 29 years, with the age limit for PWDs extending up to 35 years.
Ms Macharia emphasized that the NYOTA programme aligns with the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), a key promise made by President William Ruto to uplift vulnerable groups and promote self-reliance among the youth. She urged young people to seize the opportunity and work towards building strong credit profiles and financial discipline.
The National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Project, under the Ministry of Youth Affairs, aims to address youth unemployment by equipping participants with skills, experience, and financial support necessary to start or grow their businesses. The National Government, in partnership with the World Bank, has raised Sh5 billion for the initiative, with funds set to be disbursed within the next three weeks. The programme is built on the success of the World Bank-supported Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project (KYEOP), which helped thousands of young Kenyans launch businesses, gain skills, and create jobs.
