Nationwide NYOTA Verification Exercise Set for Tomorrow

John Toris

The government has announced a massive nationwide verification exercise for the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) project, a pivotal step in selecting 100,000 youth entrepreneurs to receive start-up grants of KSh 50,000 each. In a press statement, Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Hon. Wycliffe Oparanya, confirmed that the physical validation will take place on Friday, 24th October 2025, simultaneously across all 290 constituency headquarters in the country.

The NYOTA project, a 5-year initiative funded by the World Bank, is designed to transform the lives of vulnerable youth by creating employment, enhancing income generation, and promoting savings. The upcoming exercise is critical to ensuring the integrity of the program. "The physical validation exercise, therefore, seeks to confirm the authenticity and eligibility of applicants, ensuring that only genuine and qualified youth are selected to benefit," stated CS Oparanya. He emphasized that only applicants who present themselves physically at their constituency headquarters will be considered eligible, and there will be no repeat exercise.

The verification will be a high-level government operation, led by Principal Secretaries and supported by elected leaders, National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs), and the NYOTA Project team. Each constituency will have designated validation centres organized by wards to ensure efficiency and transparency. Applicants must present their original National Identity Cards, with Persons with Disabilities required to provide their disability identification cards.

In a final push, CS Oparanya also reminded youth that the Entrepreneurship Aptitude Test (EAT) remains a mandatory requirement. The deadline to complete the free test is 12:00 p.m. on the day of the validation, October 24, 2025. Youth who have not taken the test can do so on-site by sending the word NYOTA to 40270.

"Attendance and completion of the EAT are compulsory for consideration," the CS affirmed, underscoring that this exercise marks a key milestone in empowering Kenya's youth with practical tools for entrepreneurship. Following the validation, a three-day review will be conducted before the final list of successful beneficiaries is announced, paving the way for their induction and the launch of their business ventures.

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