The government has extended the NYOTA Project Business Support mentorship program to allow more beneficiaries to participate.
In a statement on Tuesday, March 31, MSMEs Development Principal Secretary Susan Mang’eni said the extension moves the deadline from March 31 to April 8.
She explained that the decision was informed by the need to accommodate remaining participants.
"The NYOTA Project Business Support Component was scheduled to end today, 31st March 2026. We have, however, extended the deadline to Wednesday, 8th April 2026 to give the remaining 6% of the beneficiaries who are yet to turn up an opportunity for mentorship," she said.
Mang’eni highlighted the importance of mentorship in the overall program, noting that it is a requirement before proceeding to the next stage.
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"The mentorship is a mandatory requirement for the 2nd business skills classroom training. Beneficiaries who have not engaged with their mentors are urged to contact their constituency NYOTA Project coordinators immediately," she added.
Mang’eni also outlined the next phase of the program, which will follow immediately after the mentorship period concludes.
"The conclusion of the mentorship program will be followed by the 2nd mandatory business skills classroom training scheduled to commence on 15th April 2026 in all constituencies across the country," she explained.
Mang’eni further detailed the financial support beneficiaries are set to receive after completing the training.
"Upon completion of the business skills classroom training, the beneficiaries will receive their 2nd tranche of the NYOTA Business Support startup capital of Ksh25,000 (with Ksh3,000 being savings under the Haba Haba scheme by NSSF), bringing the total disbursement to Ksh50,000 per beneficiary as per project design," she outlined.
Mang’eni added that the government has already planned timelines for the disbursement of the second tranche.
"The disbursement of the 2nd tranche of the business start-up capital is earmarked to take place before the end of April 2026, after the completion of the 2nd business skills classroom training, paving the way for the 2nd mentorship period that will introduce the beneficiaries to the MSME ecosystem for enhanced business support," she added.
Mang’eni also provided an update on the progress made so far under the program, highlighting strong participation and business uptake among beneficiaries.
"To date, 94 % of the beneficiaries who received the first tranche of startup capital have been taken through the mentorship program, and 98% of them have already started their businesses. The remaining 2% are in the process of starting their business," she revealed.
Mang’eni further broke down the experience levels of participants, showing that most are new entrepreneurs.
"The mentorship program has revealed that 65% of the mentees are first-time entrepreneurs, while 19% have less than one year of business experience. A further 13% have between one and three years of experience, while only 3% have been in business for more than three years," she further said.
Mang’eni concluded by noting the gender balance achieved under the initiative, indicating that most beneficiaries who have undergone mentorship are female.
"In terms of gender distribution, 51% of the NYOTA business support beneficiaries who have undergone mentorship are female, while 49% are male, reflecting a near-equal gender parity in the NYOTA Project," she concluded.
This comes a day after the government dismissed as fake a viral poster circulating on social media claiming that Kenyans can receive Ksh36,000 through the NYOTA Project after making a payment via a listed till number.
In a notice on Sunday, March 29, officials warned against falling victim to the fraudulent scheme, noting that the information being shared is misleading and intended to scam unsuspecting individuals.
"This is fake and should be disregarded! The NYOTA Project does not have a till number," the notice read.
The fake viral poster instructs users to send Ksh200 to a specified till number in order to access the alleged funds.
The government further reassured the public that no payments are required to access services under the NYOTA initiative.
"All services are free and accessible through USSD code *254#," the notice added.
