Members of the National Assembly Committee on Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives have questioned the delay in rolling out the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) program.
The ambitious program would have seen 70 youths in all the wards in the country receive a grant of Sh50,000 to either start or expand a business.
Led by Committee Chairperson Hon. Benard Shinali (Ikolomani), MPs quizzed officials from the State Department for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development over the slow implementation of the multi-billion-shilling youth empowerment project.
Principal Secretary Susan Mang’eni told the committee that budget constraints have stalled the rollout. She disclosed that the department has only secured Sh1.2 billion but needs an additional Sh7.6 billion to fully implement the program.
Her remarks sparked sharp reactions from legislators, who questioned why the government had encouraged young people to apply for the program without securing full funding.
“A lot of Kenyan youths applied for these funds and are now anxious. If you love our youth, could you publish the names of those who have been selected so that they know whether to keep hoping?” posed Hon. Shinali.
Vice Chairperson Hon. Marianne Kitany (Aldai) also criticised the premature public mobilisation, saying it risks creating false hope among the youth.
According to the PS, the NYOTA project is a scaled-up version of the Kenya Youth Empowerment Program (KYEOP) and targets over 100,000 youths with business ideas. Each successful applicant will receive Sh50,000, disbursed in two installments of Sh25,000, along with Business Development Services (BDS) training and mentorship.
The program focuses on youth aged 18 to 29, and up to 35 years for persons with disabilities, particularly those with secondary education or lower, including school dropouts.
“Our aim is to empower young people through financial support and skills development to enable them to start or sustain businesses,” said PS Mang’eni.
Priority will be given to those with secondary education or below, including school dropouts, to start or expand small businesses.
The committee members urged the ministry to prioritize transparency and timely communication to manage expectations as the funding process continues.
