The government has dismissed a notice circulating on social media claiming that beneficiaries of the NYOTA Project had completed mandatory business training and would begin receiving Ksh25,000 start-up capital from Monday, May 11.
In a statement on Sunday, May 10, MSMEs Development Principal Secretary Susan Mang’eni clarified that the notice is fake and urged the public to disregard it.
The viral document, bearing the Ministry of Co-operatives and MSMEs Development branding and the NYOTA logo, falsely claimed that the second classroom business skills training had been completed successfully across the country and that disbursement of start-up capital would commence immediately for eligible beneficiaries.
However, the image has since been marked as fake news, with the government distancing itself from the contents.
"Ignore such purported ‘updates’ circulating on NYOTA start-up capital disbursement. We shall communicate officially in the coming days on when the disbursement will take place," Mang’eni said.
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The Principal Secretary further encouraged beneficiaries under the NYOTA business support programme to remain focused on growing their enterprises as they await official communication from the government.
"In the meantime, we encourage our NYOTA business support beneficiaries to continue building their businesses and sharing their success stories," she added.
This comes over a week after the government called on NYOTA beneficiaries to revise their On-the-Job Experience (OJE) skill selection.
In a notice on Thursday, April 30, beneficiaries were instructed to revise their selected skills through a designated mobile code, with further guidance to follow via SMS.
"Here is your opportunity to revise your skill selection via *254#. You will receive an SMS from our official number with further guidelines," the notice read in part.
The notice applies to beneficiaries across Nakuru, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Homabay, Kisii, Nyamira, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Kisumu, Migori, Siaya and Vihiga counties.
Authorities highlighted that the skill selection process is a critical component of the OJE programme, designed to align trainees with relevant industry opportunities and improve their long-term employability outcomes.
According to the communication, selecting the right skills is expected to improve employability, enhance workplace productivity, and reduce the mismatch between labour market demands and available talent.
It also supports sustainable career growth and development among young people enrolled in the programme.
