The Kenyan government has unveiled an ambitious programme aimed at expanding economic opportunities for young people, women, and persons with disabilities. According to Youth Affairs Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya, the programme seeks to decentralize services, making it easier for young people to access opportunities. The government has established Youth Development Offices to reach youth in rural and remote areas, reducing the need for travel to Nairobi.
The programme, known as the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA), has set specific targets for women, youth, and persons with disabilities. The targets include a 50 per cent reservation for women and five per cent for youth with disabilities in the Project Appraisal Document (PAD). The age limit for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) has been extended to 35 years. The measures also include childcare support and facilities for lactating mothers, flexible schedules, and transport or proximity support where feasible.
To accommodate young people with lower levels of formal education, the government has designed programmes such as NYOTA, which targets youth with education levels below Form 4, and the Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF). The YEDF offers products including Vuka and Talanta loans and group-based lending. The government is also seeking to remove barriers to accessing credit by allowing flexible collateral requirements, such as group guarantees, household/business assets, or flexible repayment terms.
The strategy also seeks to ensure that youth in remote and underserved communities are identified and enrolled in government programmes. The ministry is using partnerships with local organisations to identify vulnerable youth, while regional quotas and representation targets are being used to promote non-discrimination. Specific provisions have been made for refugee and host-community youth in Garissa and Turkana under NYOTA.
On employment, 51,604 youth have so far been reached through NYOTA's on-the-job experience component, out of a national target of 90,000. The programme has also moved into business support, disbursing Sh2.55 billion to 101,721 youth in the first tranche. The government is taking measures to prevent duplication among NYOTA, YEDF, the Uwezo Fund, the Women Enterprise Development Fund, and other state and county programmes.
The government aims to link its programmes so beneficiaries can progress from start-up support to expansion financing. YEDF will provide expansion loans to young people who have already received NYOTA start-up grants. Beyond financing, the government is banking on skills development and entrepreneurship training to improve the survival rate of youth-owned enterprises. Mandatory pre-financing training and continuous entrepreneurship development programmes equip beneficiaries with essential business management skills.
Since its inception, 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. The fund has disbursed about Sh15.27 billion in loans, while more than 2.57 million youth have received training in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and business management. The government has also expanded its youth health and social programmes, including the Vijana Vuka na Afya (VIVA) programme, which has trained over 201 health professionals on youth-friendly services.
Key points
- The Kenyan government has launched a programme to expand economic opportunities for young people and women, with targeted financing, job placements and skills training.
- The programme has set specific targets for women, youth, and persons with disabilities, including a 50 per cent reservation for women and five per cent for youth with disabilities.
- The government aims to link its programmes so beneficiaries can progress from start-up support to expansion financing.
