MURANG’A, Kenya — In a major boost for youth-led enterprises, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has pledged an additional KSh10,000 cash top-up and total business permit waivers for all NYOTA programme beneficiaries from her county.
Speaking on Friday, July 10, 2026, during the disbursement of the second tranche of NYOTA funds at Ihura Stadium in Murang’a County, Waiguru became one of the first county bosses to directly enhance the national government’s flagship youth initiative with local resources. The additional capital raises the total payout for Kirinyaga beneficiaries from KSh50,000 to KSh60,000.
A Nationwide Push for Youth Capital
The regional event brought together thousands of youth beneficiaries from Murang’a, Kirinyaga, and Nyeri counties. It was held concurrently with a national launch presided over by President William Ruto in Nairobi, while Cabinet Secretaries led synchronized rollouts across various hubs.
To ensure seamless execution, Governor Waiguru announced that her administration will obtain the official list of beneficiaries directly from the national government. She also revealed that Kirinyaga has set aside a separate KSh90 million under its own county empowerment programme to support broader youth and women-led ventures.
“We have directed that all NYOTA beneficiaries from Kirinyaga will not pay for business permits,” Waiguru stated, urging the youth to leverage the region’s historic entrepreneurial culture. “Let us restore that glory by embracing entrepreneurship and building successful enterprises that create wealth and jobs.”
KSh176 Million Disbursed Globally in Mt. Kenya Region
The scale of the regional rollout was underscored by senior state officials. Lands and Housing Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome revealed that the programme’s reach in the cluster has expanded from 5,294 beneficiaries in the first tranche to 7,055 in the current disbursement. Wahome highly lauded Waiguru’s operational interventions, calling on other governors to emulate the template.
Trade, Investment, and Industry Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui confirmed that a total of KSh176 million had been successfully funneled to young entrepreneurs across Murang’a, Kirinyaga, and Nyeri during the Friday cycle. Kinyanjui noted that what sets the NYOTA framework apart from traditional funds is its integration of mandatory entrepreneurship training alongside raw seed capital.
President Ruto Orders Tax Holidays and New Database
Simultaneously in Nairobi, President William Ruto unveiled a broader long-term strategy for the program, ordering the creation of a centralized national database of NYOTA beneficiaries to track growth and lock in future state incentives.
The Head of State directed that roughly 20,000 beneficiaries without formal certifications be enrolled in free, government-sponsored trade competency assessments.
Furthermore, matching Waiguru’s localized policy, President Ruto challenged all county governments to establish a two-year business permit waiver for newly established youth enterprises. He also directed state financial institutions—including the Uwezo Fund, the Youth Enterprise Development Fund, and the Women Enterprise Fund—to design highly affordable follow-up credit lines tailored strictly for the NYOTA cohort to guarantee long-term business survival.
