Kisumu: Principal Secretary (PS) for the State Department for Children Services CPA Carren Ageng’o has urged young people participating in the government’s NYOTA programme to embrace responsibility and use the funds they receive to meaningfully transform their lives. Speaking at Moi Stadium in Kisumu, where she presided over the NYOTA verification exercise, Ageng’o reminded youth that the initiative was designed to help them become job creators rather than dependents.
According to Kenya News Agency, the PS explained that the validation exercise, which is being conducted across all 47 counties, seeks to confirm that the youth who registered online are genuine and available to take up the opportunity. Each ward will have 70 youth selected through a transparent and merit-based process. In Kisumu Central Sub County, 1,500 youth were shortlisted, but only 350 will be absorbed after undergoing an online aptitude test that assesses their readiness for business.
Ageng’o urged the youth to remain patient and cooperate with technical teams handling the validation to ensure the exercise runs smoothly and identifies the right candidates for the NYOTA business support programme. She emphasised that the government was intentional about equity and inclusivity, ensuring that the opportunity benefits both genders equally and also accommodates persons with disabilities (PWDs).
Once the validation is completed, successful candidates will begin training on business and financial management skills before receiving a Sh. 50,000 grant to start or expand their enterprises. She cautioned against misuse of the funds, saying the money should be treated as seed capital meant to spark long-term change rather than short-term consumption.
Beyond NYOTA, the PS underscored the government’s broader efforts to tackle youth unemployment through multiple programmes aimed at equipping young people with practical skills and access to decent work. She highlighted ongoing and completed Affordable housing projects which have already absorbed hundreds of youths in both skilled and unskilled roles.
The PS also encouraged graduates and educated youth to explore the internship opportunities the government is offering to help them gain work experience while waiting for long-term employment. The government’s ultimate goal is to make Kenya’s youth economically self-reliant by providing them with the skills, capital, and mentorship needed to sustain meaningful livelihoods.
The NYOTA programme – short for National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement, is a flagship government initiative under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection that supports youth through entrepreneurship training and financial empowerment. As the nationwide validation continues in all sub-counties across Kisumu and the rest of the country, successful applicants are expected to begin their training next month before the Sh.50,000 grants are disbursed.