Nationwide NYOTA verification exercise set for tomorrow Friday

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The government will on Friday carry out a nationwide physical verification of youth shortlisted under the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) business support programme.

The exercise will be held simultaneously in all 290 constituency headquarters, with teams drawn from the Ministry of Cooperatives and MSMEs Development, county and national administrations, and the NYOTA secretariat.

The five-year World Bank-funded project, implemented by the Government of Kenya, seeks to empower youth through entrepreneurship training, mentorship, and start-up capital.

Under the initiative, 100,000 young entrepreneurs will receive business skills training and grants of KSh 50,000 each to start or expand their ventures.

Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and MSMEs Development Wycliffe Oparanya said the exercise will ensure only genuine and eligible applicants are approved.

“We want to give young people a fair chance to create jobs and participate fully in building the nation. Every applicant must be verified physically to guarantee transparency and fairness,” he said.

During the verification, applicants will be required to present their national identification cards, while persons with disabilities must carry their NCPWD cards for authentication.

The ministry said the verification will confirm the authenticity of shortlisted candidates before the final selection.

The Entrepreneurship Aptitude Test (EAT) remains a compulsory requirement for all applicants. Those who have not yet taken the test will be allowed to do so at the verification centres.

“The test can be taken on any phone by sending the word NYOTA to 40270. It is free and available in several local languages,” Dr Oparanya added.

After the verification exercise, the NYOTA secretariat will review the data and test results before releasing the final list of successful beneficiaries.

Dr Oparanya said the programme is anchored on inclusion, empowerment and accountability.

“We are not just funding businesses; we are building a new generation of entrepreneurs,” he said.

The NYOTA project targets over 820,000 youth aged between 18 and 29 years—and up to 35 years for persons with disabilities—across all 1,450 wards. It focuses on employability, entrepreneurship and financial inclusion through four pillars:

1. Recognition of Prior Learning

2. On-the-Job Experience

3. Business Support

4. Digital Training on Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO)