Deputy President Kithure Kindiki during the launch of the second phase of disbursements under the Nyota programme in Nakuru on July 10 /SCREENGRAB
The government has launched the second phase of disbursements under the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (Nyota) programme, with 122,000 young people across the country set to benefit from the latest round of financial support aimed at boosting youth entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki said the programme is building on the success of its first phase, which saw about 123,000 young people receive funding in February this year.
Kindiki said while some beneficiaries were unable to continue with the programme due to various challenges, the majority remained active.
"The youth received the first tranche of this money earlier in the year, in February. About 123,000 young people benefited. Others have been here and there for one reason or another, but the majority are continuing," he said.
According to Kindiki, 88,000 beneficiaries from the initial cohort have progressed to the next stage of the programme, while an additional 33,000 new beneficiaries have been enrolled, bringing the total number of recipients in the second phase to 122,000.
He said each beneficiary will receive Sh25,000, although Sh3,000 will be remitted directly to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) as part of the government's efforts to promote a savings culture among young people.
The remaining Sh22,000 will be deposited directly into the beneficiaries' mobile money accounts to support business start-ups and expansion of existing enterprises.
"Today, we are disbursing to a total of 122,000 young people across Kenya, and each of you is getting Sh25,000. Sh3,000 will go to NSSF as savings, while Sh22,000 will be sent directly to your phone," Kindiki said.
The Nyota programme is one of the government's flagship youth empowerment initiatives designed to address unemployment by providing financial support, business development training and mentorship to young entrepreneurs.
"If you think this money is small, come and bring us a lot of aid. For the time being, we are grateful, and in future, we will expand this grant so that it can be more than as it is at the moment, but we are grateful. We are able to provide some support for our young people who would never have gotten this kind of support anywhere,"Kindiki added
The latest disbursement is expected to enable thousands of young Kenyans to invest in income-generating activities, create employment opportunities and strengthen their participation in the country's economic development as the government continues to expand youth-focused empowerment programmes.
