Mvurya says Sh15.27 billion disbursed through Youth Enterprise Development Fund

CS for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, Salim Mvurya, before the Senate Plenary in Kilifi on September 23, 2026. [Nehemiah Okwembah, Standard]

Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya has told the Senate that approximately Sh15.27 billion has been disbursed as loans under the Youth Enterprise Fund since its inception.

Mvurya, who appeared before the Senate Plenary at the Kilifi County Assembly to answer questions on Wednesday, said this funding has significantly improved access to affordable credit for youth who were previously excluded.

Mvurya told Senators that over 1.3 million youth have accessed financial support to start and expand businesses, contributing to increased entrepreneurial activity nationwide, with the funds and interventions having facilitated the creation of over 2.18 million jobs both through self-employment and additional employment opportunities within the supported enterprises.

“More than 2.57 million youth have been trained in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and business management, strengthening their ability to establish and sustain viable enterprises, with beneficiaries having reported increased incomes and improved living standards as a result of access to finance and business support,” said Mvurya.

Nyandarua Senator John Methu asked the Cabinet Secretary to outline the policy and institutional framework guiding the coordination of youth empowerment interventions, and indicate mechanisms in place to ensure the eligible youth are adequately informed of these opportunities.

Mvurya said that the Policies guiding the coordination of youth empowerment interventions across the institutions under the State Department for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy include the Constitution of Kenya and the Kenya National Youth Development Policy (2019).

He said that the Policy guidelines include: Kenya Vision 2030 Blueprint and the Fourth Medium Term Plan (MTP IV), Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA); Youth Enterprise Development Fund Legal Order No. 63 of 2007; Refugees Act, 2021 for refugee and host-community programming under NYOTA.   

“Other Policy guidelines include the National Youth Council Act CAP 132; East Africa Youth Policy; African Youth Charter; World Programme of Action for Youth and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Act of 2013,” said Mvurya.

He told Senators that the State Department has undertaken certain mechanisms to ensure the eligible youth are adequately informed of these opportunities and these include Deploying Youth Development Officers to all 47 counties and Media Engagement through talk shows, media briefs, among others.

Mvurya said nationwide sensitisation, awareness, validation, and rollout campaigns were conducted across counties for our programmes and engagement of youth through programmes such as National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA), Vijana Vuka na Afya (VIVA).

Engagement of youth during the National Youth Week (NYW) and International Youth Day (IYD) between 6th and 12th August every year, Dissemination of information through various social media platforms, Distribution of IEC materials, and Transcribing IEC Materials into Braille.

“Could the Cabinet Secretary explain the measures in place to avoid duplication and ensure coherence with other youth empowerment funds, credit schemes, enterprise programs, and employment initiatives implemented by the national Government, state agencies, and county Governments,” asked Methu.

Mvurya told Senators there are multi-agency and interagency coordination and joint programmes for direct oversight and stronger coordination to prevent overlapping mandates, such as NYOTA and YEDF, anchored under the Ministry to prevent overlapping of mandates.

He said there are Beneficiary Identification Systems in programs like NYOTA, which use the ID as a unique identifier, with Strategic Partnerships and MOUs with County Governments and Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure alignment of local and national efforts.

The Cabinet Secretary said there is Synergy among institutions within the ministry and across projects (e.g., NYOTA), with YEDF serving as a 'scaling partner' for other Government projects.

“For instance, in the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) project (2026), YEDF will provide expansion loans specifically for youth who have already received initial startup grants from the project,” said Mvurya.

He said that there is Institutional Alignment with National Policy to ensure consistency and reduce fragmentation. eg., YEDF's strategic plan is anchored in the Kenya National Youth Development Policy (2019) and Vision 2030.

Mvurya said this ensures that YEDF's mandates complement, rather than compete with, other state interventions, such as the Uwezo Fund and the Women Enterprise Development Fund (WEF).