Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development Principal Secretary Susan Mang’eni has attributed delays in the roll out of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) program to budget constraints.
Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives on Thursday, July 11, PS Mang’eni disclosed that the Department has only secured Ksh1.2 billion, but needs an additional Ksh7.6 billion to fully implement the program.
The MPs, led by Committee Chairperson Benard Shinali, 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?” Shinali posed.
Aldai MP Marianne Kitany also criticized the premature public mobilization, saying it risks creating false hope among the youth.
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PS Mang’eni told the committee that the NYOTA project is a scaled-up version of the Kenya Youth Empowerment Program (KYEOP), and targets over 100,000 youths with business ideas.
According to the PS, successful applicants will receive Ksh50,000 each, disbursed in two instalments of Ksh25,000, along with Business Development Services (BDS) training and mentorship.
The NYOTA program focuses on youth aged 18 to 29, and up to 35 years for persons with disabilities.
“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.
Further, she said the program will give priority to those with secondary education or below, including school dropouts, to start or expand small businesses.
The Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives committee members called on the Ministry to prioritize transparency and timely communication to manage expectations as the funding process continues.
