NYOTA Project Kicks Off Nationwide Verification Exercise Ahead of Entrepreneurship Support Rollout
Nationwide Verification Exercise Set for NYOTA Youth Empowerment Project
The Government of Kenya has announced the commencement of a nationwide verification exercise for the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) project, a flagship five-year initiative funded by the World Bank. The project aims to transform the lives of vulnerable young people by creating employment opportunities, boosting entrepreneurship, and promoting a culture of savings across the country.
The physical validation exercise for the Business Support Component will take place on Friday, 24th October 2025, in all 290 constituency headquarters nationwide. The process seeks to confirm the authenticity and eligibility of applicants to ensure that only qualified and committed youth are selected to benefit from the programme.
Under this component, 100,000 youth entrepreneurs will receive entrepreneurship training, mentorship, and start-up grants of KSh 50,000 each to help them launch and grow their businesses.
Verification and Entrepreneurship Test
Each constituency will host a validation centre with ward-level breakout stations to ensure efficient and transparent verification. Applicants are required to present their National Identity Cards, while Persons with Disabilities must also provide their disability identification cards for authentication.
A mandatory Entrepreneurship Aptitude Test (EAT) will form part of the final selection process. Applicants who have not yet taken the EAT will be able to complete it on-site during the validation exercise.
To take the test, applicants should send the word NYOTA to 40270 and follow the SMS prompts to answer 19 questions. The test is free of charge, can be done using any mobile phone, and is available in multiple languages.
The deadline for completing the test is Friday, 24th October 2025, at 12:00 p.m
Empowering Kenya’s Youth
Attendance and completion of the validation exercise and EAT are compulsory for consideration. The nationwide process marks a key milestone in empowering Kenyan youth with practical tools for entrepreneurship, employment, and sustainable livelihoods. It also reaffirms the government’s commitment to inclusive economic growth and youth transformation.
After the validation, the NYOTA Project Team will review results and EAT performance reports over a three-day period. The final list of successful beneficiaries will then be published, followed by induction and training sessions to prepare selected youth for the business start-up phase.
About the NYOTA Project
The NYOTA Project targets at least 820,000 young people aged between 18 and 29 years, and up to 35 years for Persons with Disabilities, across all 1,450 wards in Kenya.
The project focuses on enhancing youth employability and entrepreneurship through four key interventions:
1. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
2. On-Job Experience (OJE)
3. Business Support
4. Digital Training on Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) and the e-GP platform
The initiative is being implemented through a whole-of-government approach, led by Principal Secretaries, elected leaders, National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs), and the NYOTA Implementation Team.