NAIROBI, Kenya – Beneficiaries of the NYOTA Project will be required to return to the classroom for a second round of mandatory business training starting April 20, 2026, as the government shifts focus to strengthening the sustainability of newly established enterprises.
In a statement released on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, Principal Secretary Susan Mang’eni said the constituency-based sessions are designed to tackle weaknesses identified during the programme’s initial mentorship phase.
The training rollout comes shortly after the conclusion of the first mentorship cycle on April 8, 2026, which reached beneficiaries in all 1,450 wards across the country.
According to the ministry, the mentorship phase mobilised over 5,500 mentors who worked closely with participants through site visits, structured business discussions, peer learning and shared experiences.
The government reported strong engagement, noting that 97 per cent of beneficiaries who had received the first tranche of start-up capital participated in the mentorship programme.
Of those, 99 per cent have already launched their businesses, while a small fraction are still in the process of setting up.
However, the findings also revealed a critical gap: 84 per cent of participants are first-time entrepreneurs with less than a year’s experience, underscoring the need for continued training and guidance beyond the initial support.
Attendance will be compulsory, and only those who took part in the initial mentorship phase will qualify.
The ministry added that full participation in the training will determine eligibility for the second disbursement of start-up capital worth Sh25,000.
