NAIROBI, Kenya — The government has announced a nationwide physical validation exercise for the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Project, set to take place on Friday, October 24, 2025, across all 290 constituency headquarters.
The NYOTA initiative, a five-year World Bank–funded program, seeks to transform the lives of vulnerable youth through entrepreneurship training, mentorship, and access to start-up grants of Sh50,000 each.
According to a statement issued by the Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and MSMEs, Dr. Wycliffe Oparanya, the validation marks a major milestone in ensuring fairness and transparency in selecting beneficiaries.
“The physical validation exercise seeks to confirm the authenticity and eligibility of applicants to ensure only genuine and qualified youth are selected to benefit,” Oparanya said.
The verification will confirm applicants’ residency, education level, employment status, gender, and disability, while ensuring that only those who appear in person are deemed responsive and eligible.
There will be no repeat exercise, and the Entrepreneurship Aptitude Test (EAT) remains a mandatory requirement for final selection.
To take the test, applicants are required to send the word NYOTA to 40270, complete 19 questions via SMS, and submit responses before Friday noon, October 24. The test is free of charge and available in multiple languages.
The validation will be coordinated by Principal Secretaries, National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs), and elected leaders under a whole-of-government approach.
Persons with Disabilities must present both their National ID and disability identification card for authentication.
After the three-day review period, the final list of successful beneficiaries will be released, followed by induction and training ahead of the start-up grant phase.
The NYOTA Project targets over 820,000 youth aged 18–29 years (and up to 35 for Persons with Disabilities) across 1,450 wards, aiming to strengthen employability, promote entrepreneurship, and foster a savings culture.
Its four key pillars include Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), On-Job Experience (OJE), Business Support, and Digital Training on Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) via the e-GP platform.
Oparanya affirmed that the program underscores the government’s commitment to inclusive growth:
“This initiative is not just about funding youth enterprises; it’s about creating sustainable livelihoods and empowering young Kenyans to drive national transformation.”
