All Roads Lead to Meru as Ruto Presides Over NYOTA Disbursement

Meru County will on *Thursday, January 22, 2026, host **President William Ruto, who will preside over the latest phase of the *National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme targeting youth employment and enterprise development.

The exercise will see beneficiaries from Embu, Meru and Tharaka Nithi counties receive their grants during the event in Meru.

NYOTA is a five-year, World Bank–financed government initiative and an expansion of the Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project (KYEOP), aimed at boosting jobs, incomes and a savings culture among vulnerable youth.

Unemployed and underemployed youth aged *18 to 29 years, and up to **35 years for persons with disabilities, qualify for *business grants ranging between Sh50,000 and Sh100,000, alongside skills training, mentorship and apprenticeship placements.

Successful applicants are automatically enrolled into the NSSF Haba Haba scheme to promote long-term financial security. Applications are made by dialing *254# on a mobile phone.

In mid-January, the government disbursed over Sh258 million to more than 10,000 beneficiaries in Nairobi, Kiambu and Kajiado, with the programme now expanding to Eastern Kenya.

Welcoming the move, Meru County Woman Representative Hon. Karambu Kailemia urged beneficiaries to put the funds to productive use, noting that the success of the programme depends on responsible utilisation of the grants.