NYOTA project: Disbursement updates & what beneficiaries should expect in coming days

Kenya’s State Department for MSMEs Development has begun a major nationwide rollout of the Nyota Project, days after officially launching the programme in Mumias. 

The ambitious initiative aims to support more than 100,000 vulnerable youth with business training, mentorship and seed funding across all 1,450 wards in the country. 

The update was issued on November 13, 2025, by Principal Secretary Susan Mang’eni.

The government confirmed that the first phase of implementation began on November 7 2025, at the Mumias Sports Complex in Kakamega County. 

The launch also served as the disbursement point for the Western cluster, covering Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma and Busia counties. 

These beneficiaries had completed the required classroom business training and were cleared to receive their initial capital to start their ventures.

A total of 12,155 beneficiaries in the cluster received Sh303,875,000. 

Each youth was allocated Sh22,000 through their Nyota Pochi la Biashara account, with a mandatory savings deduction of Sh3,000. 

According to the State Department, 30 per cent of this savings component will be accessible periodically, while the remaining 70 per cent will be locked in for the duration of the project. 

The saving structure is intended to cultivate a long-term culture of financial discipline and serve as a safety net against business shocks. 

It also forms part of a de-risking mechanism that can help young entrepreneurs secure financing from mainstream financial institutions.

With the first disbursement now complete, Western region beneficiaries are proceeding to a structured two-month handholding programme led by Business Development experts. 

After this, they will undergo a second three-day classroom training stage designed to link their enterprises to the wider business ecosystem. 

Upon completion, they will receive the final tranche of their start-up capital and continue with an additional two months of mentorship before exiting the programme.

The State Department reaffirmed that the Nyota Project will also include refugees, targeting 5,000 young people in Kakuma and Dadaab camps, along with another 5,000 from the host communities. 

The intake process for both camps is nearing completion, and training will begin once the lists are finalised.

A major scale-up is set for November 14, 2025, when simultaneous training will be launched in 25 counties. 

These include Kitui, Machakos, Makueni, Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, West Pokot, Turkana, Baringo, Laikipia, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Embu, Isiolo, Nakuru, Narok, Kajiado, Nandi, Siaya, Kisumu, Homabay, Migori, Kisii, Nyamira, Kericho and Bomet, covering 151 constituencies and 754 wards.

The training will run for four days, and beneficiaries must attend at least three sessions to qualify for start-up capital. 

A total of 63,231 youth have been selected to attend, with communication already sent via text message indicating their training venues. 

All sessions will be held within the constituencies where beneficiaries submitted their applications.

A total of 222 training centres have been mapped out across the counties. Some constituencies will host multiple centres due to their geographic size. 

Beneficiaries have been encouraged to choose the nearest centre within their constituency to ease access and reduce travel costs. Once the training concludes, disbursement of start-up capital will begin immediately.

The remaining 18 counties are expected to begin training towards the end of next week. These include Nairobi, Kiambu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nyeri, Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Nyandarua, Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River, Lamu, Taita Taveta, Marsabit, Samburu, Wajir, Mandera and Garissa.

The Nyota Project, described by the State Department as one of the government’s most extensive youth enterprise empowerment efforts, is designed to train, fund and mentor young entrepreneurs from vulnerable communities, equipping them with the skills and capital necessary to start sustainable businesses.