County Introduces Youth Digital Business Grants in Nairobi

Nairobi City County has announced a new digital entrepreneurship grant targeted at the city’s youth. The initiative coincides with the opening of the Jericho Incubation Hub—a county-backed, tech‑enabled space in Harambee Ward designed to nurture digital innovations and empower young entrepreneurs to launch and scale their startups.
The program provides a blend of financial and non‑financial support: youth entrepreneurs using the county’s digital channels can access seed grants alongside training, mentorship, and incubation services at the Jericho hub. This builds on Nairobi County’s earlier collaboration with World Vision and Moringa School, where 45 young people completed intensive digital-skills training in mid‑2023. While this isn’t labeled as a huge cash grant, the county’s 2024‑2025 development plan does mention seed grant funding for startups via its innovation and digital economy sector.
Reaction among Nairobi’s youth and innovation stakeholders has been broadly positive. Young founders see the move as a practical commitment by county authorities to close the digital divide and unlock real economic opportunity through technology. Civic activists also welcome the proposal, seeing it as aligned with Nairobi’s draft youth policy, which explicitly promotes mechanisms to support youth innovation … in ICT‑enabled business.
Looking ahead, Nairobi City County aims to replicate the Jericho iHub model in more wards, align its youth grant disbursements with mentorship and incubation, and scale digital business access for young people across the city. With this approach, the county hopes to build a more inclusive digital economy and help youth turn tech ideas into sustainable enterprises.