The Cabinet Secretary for Co-operatives and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Wycliffe Oparanya, has encouraged young people to pursue entrepreneurship to solve the country’s escalating youth unemployment crisis. NYOTA beneficiaries in Kakamega. Speaking at the launch of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) project at Kakamega Youth Polytechnic, Oparanya stated that the MSME sector accounts for approximately 98% of all jobs in Kenya. The CS stated that the government will grant KSh 50,000 to each beneficiary to start their business. “The government has teamed with the World Bank to allocate KSh 33 billion over five years because this is an important sector. Each young person would get KSh 50,000 in startup funds to begin an income-generating activity,” he revealed, as reported by MyGov on Tuesday, September 30. How many Kenyans will benefit from NYOTA?
According to the CS, 17 million young people are currently working in the informal sector, which accounts for around 40% of Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Oparanya disclosed that 1.4 million people, aged 18 to 29, and up to 35 for people with disabilities, applied for the programme. After vetting, the figure was reduced to 110,000 recipients, distributed across 1,450 wards nationwide. Approximately 70 young men and women in each ward will benefit. “The programme’s goals are to combat youth unemployment and establish a nationwide platform that will enable young people to fulfil their dreams,” he explained.
CS Wycliffe Oparanya said the funds will be allocated in phases. He clarified that, in addition to receiving their startup funding in phases, beneficiaries will also receive continuous assistance from professionals in business development to help them launch and expand their ventures. However, Oparanya underlined that personal discipline and effort will also be necessary for the endeavour to succeed. The CS encouraged youth to form strong groups to position themselves for government and county contracts under the 30% Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) program. AGPO supports businesses owned by women, PWDs, and youth.
By Japhet Ruto
