Ruto Issues Order To PSs Over Program Paying Kenyan Youth Ksh50,000 Monthly

Under the plan, 70 youths from each of Kenya’s 1,450 wards will receive Ksh50,000 in grants to help them start business ventures.

Viral Tea Ke Writer Viral Tea Ke Writer
Oct 3, 2025 - 17:35 Updated: Oct 3, 2025 - 17:37
0
Ruto Issues Order To PSs Over Program Paying Kenyan Youth Ksh50,000 Monthly
President William Ruto addressing Principal Secretaries during a high-level meeting at State House in Nairobi on Friday, October 3, 2025. /PCS

President William Ruto has instructed all Principal Secretaries to organize meetings with senior government officials in every county ahead of the launch of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Project.

The NYOTA initiative, a five-year government programme funded by the World Bank, is designed to tackle youth unemployment, income instability, and low savings by empowering young people.

Under the plan, 70 youths from each of Kenya’s 1,450 wards will receive Ksh50,000 in grants to help them start business ventures.

President William Ruto addressing Principal Secretaries during a high-level meeting at State House in Nairobi on Friday, October 3, 2025. /PCS

Ruto further directed the PSs to meet with governors, MPs, and MCAs by Monday, October 6, 2025.

He added that the PSs will also engage chiefs to brief local authorities and youths about the programme and ensure its smooth rollout at the grassroots level.

"By involving leaders from the Executive, Legislature, and county governments, the process will be transparent and inclusive, ensuring that every young person has a fair chance to benefit," Ruto stated.

"We have adopted a whole-of-government approach in delivering the NYOTA programme to ensure its smooth and successful implementation."

Ruto announced that the Ksh5 billion NYOTA programme will benefit 100,000 young people across the country, noting that it is aimed at opening up opportunities and fostering enterprise and innovation among the youth.

His remarks follow an update a month earlier by Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya, who revealed that the government had received more than 1.4 million applications from youths seeking the Ksh50,000 grant.

Testifying before the National Assembly’s Trade Committee on August 27, Oparanya said the applications were submitted through the USSD code *254#, with 180,000 candidates already shortlisted.

He explained that each successful applicant will receive Ksh50,000, issued in two instalments of Ksh25,000, in addition to Business Development Services (BDS) training and mentorship.

“180,000 applicants have been shortlisted through a transparent randomisation process and are now undergoing an online aptitude test before final selection,” Oparanya told MPs.

He also noted that 46 percent of those shortlisted are women, while 26,000 are persons with disabilities.

Long queues of job seekers in their hundreds wait to hand in their documents at county hall in Nairobi, Kenya. /NATION MEDIA GROUP

Tags: