Kakamega County Partners with World Bank to Empower Young Entrepreneurs Nationwide

Western Kenya Youth Empowered Through NYOTA Entrepreneurship Training
The NYOTA Project has officially launched entrepreneurship training for youth in Western Kenya, targeting counties including Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma, and Busia. The training is designed to equip young people with practical business skills, financial literacy, and mentorship to help them successfully start and run enterprises. Once the sessions are completed, participants will receive phased startup grants and ongoing guidance from business development experts to ensure their ventures thrive.
This training forms the first of eight clusters planned nationwide, with follow-up cohorts set to include tens of thousands more youth across the country. The initiative, a collaboration between the Government of Kenya and the World Bank, aims to create over 110,000 youth-led enterprises, certify 20,000 artisans through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) program, and link 90,000 young people to employment opportunities. Additionally, 600,000 youth will be trained on government procurement processes and financial management to enhance their entrepreneurial capacity.
Participants and local leaders alike have welcomed the program, citing it as a timely opportunity to promote self-reliance and economic growth in the region. By combining training, mentorship, and access to funding, the NYOTA Project is fostering a generation of empowered young entrepreneurs who are prepared to contribute meaningfully to Kenya’s economic transformation.