The Kenyan government has introduced measures to make youth funding more accessible in rural and underserved areas. Youth Affairs Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya stated that the approach aims to bring government services closer to beneficiaries while providing women and persons with disabilities a defined share of opportunities under the NYOTA programme. This initiative seeks to reduce the need for young people to travel to Nairobi for services.
The government has set a 50 per cent reservation target for women and five per cent for youth with disabilities under NYOTA. Additionally, the age limit for persons with disabilities (PWDs) beneficiaries has been extended to 35 years. The programme also provides childcare support, facilities for lactating mothers, flexible schedules, and transport or proximity assistance where possible. These measures aim to promote inclusivity and support vulnerable groups.
NYOTA targets youth with education below Form Four, while the Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF) provides products including Vuka and Talanta loans and group-based lending. The government is designing support for young people with lower levels of formal education. Mvurya stated that they are operating through Youth Development Offices to reach youth in rural and remote areas.
The government is seeking to make borrowing easier by reducing dependence on traditional collateral such as land title deeds. Mvurya mentioned that they are utilising 'soft' collateral, such as group guarantees, household/business assets, or flexible repayment terms. The ministry is working with local organisations to identify vulnerable youth in remote communities.
Regional quotas and representation targets are being used to promote access without discrimination. NYOTA also has provisions for refugee and host-community youth in Garissa and Turkana. So far, 51,604 youth have benefited from NYOTA's on-the-job experience component against a target of 90,000. Another 39,176 youth are expected to be covered in various counties.
Mvurya stated that Sh2.55 billion had been disbursed to 101,721 youth under the first business support tranche. The government is seeking to prevent duplication among NYOTA, YEDF, Uwezo Fund, Women Enterprise Development Fund, and other programmes by using beneficiary identification systems. Beneficiaries will also be connected to further financing as their enterprises grow.
YEDF has supported more than 1.3 million youth to start or expand businesses and facilitated the creation of more than 2.18 million jobs. Mvurya emphasised that training will remain part of the support package to improve business management and enterprise survival. Mandatory pre-financing training and continuous entrepreneurship development programmes equip beneficiaries with essential business management skills.
Key points
- The Kenyan government aims to increase youth funding accessibility in rural areas through its National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme.
- The programme targets youth with education below Form Four and provides various financial products and support services.
- The government has disbursed Sh2.55 billion to 101,721 youth under the first business support tranche.
