Government Launches Nyota Project to Empower 100,000 Youth with Skills and Capital

Busia, Kenya – September 19, 2025: The government, through the State Department of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME), has officially rolled out the Nyota Project, targeting to empower at least 100,000 youth across the country with entrepreneurial skills and start-up capital.

Speaking in Busia County, Principal Secretary for MSME Susan Mang’eni said the programme combines training, mentorship, and financial support to ensure sustainability. Beneficiaries will receive Sh50,000 in seed capital, disbursed in two installments. “We will give Sh25,000 after the initial training and, following a two-month mentorship, release the final Sh25,000,” she explained.

Mang’eni noted that 12 percent of the capital (Sh6,000) will go into savings—30 percent of which will be accessible as short-term savings, while 70 percent will be invested for long-term growth. She added that the youth will undergo one-week training followed by business incubation for one to two months before being integrated into a wider business ecosystem.

“We are targeting young people aged 18–29, and up to 35 for persons with disabilities, with at least 37 youth per ward,” Mang’eni said. She emphasized that participants will be linked to markets and mentored by business experts to help them scale up their ventures.

Board Chairman of the Micro and Small Enterprise Authority, James Mureu, said the Nyota Project aims to transform beneficiaries into employers, thereby creating wider job opportunities for Kenyan youth. He stressed that the initiative will play a vital role in reducing unemployment and fostering entrepreneurship nationwide.

Matayos Sub-County Deputy County Commissioner Solomon Komen urged beneficiaries to make full use of the opportunity, noting that Busia’s position as a border county offers vast business prospects. “This is taxpayers’ money and should be utilized responsibly to create more jobs,” he said.

PS Mang’eni also underscored the project’s role in Kenya’s digitization agenda, saying equitable distribution of resources and opportunities marks a major milestone for national development.