Hard truths. Bold Insights. Real talk.
Speaking during a National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) graduation ceremony at State House, Nairobi, on Thursday, Ruto said Kenya needed to move away from a long-standing culture that measures educational success largely through academic qualifications
The government has set a 50 per cent reservation target for women and five per cent for youth with disabilities under NYOTA, with the age limit for PWD beneficiaries extended to 35 years.
Speaking during the 15th Development Partnership Forum in Karen on Wednesday, Kindiki said Ministries, Departments and Agencies should integrate youth employment targets into their annual performance contracts and sector plans, particularly in agriculture, manufacturing, the digital economy, tourism and the blue economy.
Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua confirmed that the event scheduled for Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at the NITA Athi River Centre has been postponed until further notice.
The three interventions — Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), the Fundi Locator app and the revamped Haba Haba digital savings platform — are being implemented with support from the World Bank under the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) project
Speaking during an interview on NTV on Saturday, Mang'eni said the reduced amount was a result of beneficiaries withdrawing their mandatory savings before completing the programme, making them ineligible for some of its financial incentives.
In Marsabit, 1,570 youth received the first Sh25,000 business support grant under the programme, while the second phase is supporting 1,680 beneficiaries, including young people joining NYOTA for the first time.
Ruto announced that 88,934 beneficiaries who properly utilised their first allocation will shortly receive a second tranche of Sh25,000, raising the total amount each entrepreneur receives under the programme to Sh50,000.
Ruto said the government has witnessed the progress made by many young entrepreneurs after receiving modest financial support, adding that it now has a duty to eliminate unnecessary hurdles that could slow down their growth.
In a statement published on its official communication platforms on Monday, NYOTA clarified that the circulating notice neither originated from their station nor from The Standard newspaper, whose branding had been misused
The National Youth Service has been allocated Sh12.5 billion, while the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme will receive Sh4.9 billion. The Youth Employment Support Programme has been set at Sh1.6 billion, and Film Development Services will get Sh1 billion.
According to PS Mang’eni, the original rollout plan was adjusted after the overwhelming number of applicants led to a shift from phased distribution to a nationwide selection process. The change followed consultations involving President William Ruto and officials from the World Bank.