Government to spend Sh2.7B on youth empowerment next month

President William Ruto meeting a delegation at State House. [File, Standard] The government will spend in excess of Sh2.7 billion under a new empowerment program dubbed National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Project in the next one month. President William Ruto revealed this when he presided over the passout parade of 18,000 recruits at the National Youth Service (NYS) paramilitary academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County. "Across every ward, 100,000 youth will each receive KSh50,000 start-up capital. Next month, the first batch of 54,000 young men and women will receive these funds and begin their training," said President Ruto. The plan comes at the height of demands by Kenyans for information regarding similar empowerment programmes spearheaded by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki targeting women groups. While many have been of the view that this was a political tool by the Kenya Kwanza administration to woo back supporters to its fort, the source of the funds, including millions donated personally by politicians, remains unclear. The President also ordered the recruitment of over 4,000 NYS officers into the National Police Service, offering a lifeline to many who remain jobless after exiting the institution. "I have instructed the Ministry of Interior that next month, during the recruitment of 10,000 police officers, 4,000 of them must come from the NYS," said Ruto. He also announced the expansion of the NYS academy in Gilgil to expand the number of recruits by five times in the next three years. "Recruitment is expected to expand from 20,000 to 100,000 by 2028. NYS isbecoming a productive enterprise in agriculture, engineering, construction, textiles, and hospitality. It is already producing its supplies, cutting costs, and regenerating revenue," he said. At the same time, the President, who has been keen to woo the youth, announced that over a million youth have made applications under Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO). "Our Digital Superhighway agenda has expanded fibre optic coverage by 24,000km, connecting towns and villages. 300 digital hubs have been completed and 400 more are under construction," said Ruto. Despite an uproar over failed overseas jobs spearheaded by the Ministry of Labour, President Ruto maintained that the programme was a great success under agreements with Germany, Canada, and the Gulf countries. "We have already enabled over 420,000 young Kenyans to secure decent jobs abroad in just two years. We are now negotiating more agreements to open doors for even more of our skilled, tech-savvy youth to thrive on the world stage," he said. He added that under the Uwezo Fund and Youth Enterprise Development Fund, the government had facilitated labour mobility for 2,300 youths for Sh244 million. He drummed up support for the housing programme, describing it as now a primary engine of job creation in the country. "Today, more than 160,000 units are under construction nationwide,already employing 320,000 Kenyans. In the next few months, this number will double to 640,000," he said. Ruto added that the government has managed to increase enrollment of students to Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions (TVETs) from 180,000 learners in 2018 to over 700,000 this year. "In two years, we have hired 76,000 teachers. In January 2026, we will hire an additional 24,000 teachers. This is a demonstration of our commitment to teacher empowerment and quality education," he said. Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku noted that the training offered at the academy has greatly shaped the youth for the job market. "Young men and women, especially from humble backgrounds, have, through NYS, accessed new opportunities they would have otherwise missed," said Ruku. Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika urged the government to consider more youth from the county, which hosts the training academy, noting that only a few slots benefit the local community. "We are also exploring ways of partnering with NYS to fast-track service delivery in the county. NYS is well-resourced with a pool of competent workforce in different sectors," said Kihika. kgachuhi@standardmedia.co.ke

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