The Cabinet has endorsed the launch of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Project, a flagship government and World Bank initiative targeting over 820,000 vulnerable and unemployed youth, including persons with disabilities, following a meeting chaired by President William Ruto.
This comes weeks after NYOTA invited interested candidates to apply for jobs and training opportunities.
Structured into four components, the project includes paid on-the-job training, entrepreneurship support, and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) certification.
According to the Cabinet despatch on Tuesday, July 29, the NYOTA on-the-job experience programme component targets 90,000 youth with monthly stipends of Ksh6,000.
The monthly stipends will be deposited into Haba Haba savings accounts and the youth will be placed with different employers for 3 to 6 months.
“In line with the government’s plan to create employment and opportunities for the youth, the Cabinet endorsed the August 2025 launch of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Project. The programme aims to enhance employability, skills recognition, and access to decent work, and is a key pillar of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda,” reads part of the despatch.
“The ongoing call for the On-the-Job Experience programme targets 90,000 youth for three- to six-month paid placements with employers, with monthly stipends of KSh6,000 deposited into Haba Haba savings accounts.”
Applications were opened on July 11 with the deadline set for August 15, 2025. Currently, over one million applications have been received.
How to Apply for NYOTA program
To apply, dial *254#. A prompt will appear—select NYOTA Project (Option 3).
Next, choose “Apply for NYOTA” (Option 1).
You will then be asked to select your preferred category under the program—choose On-the-Job Experience.
Follow the next prompt to apply, then accept the terms and conditions.
You will be required to answer a few questions:
- Do you have a disability?
- What is your highest level of education?
- Is the number you are using the one they can contact you on?
After completing these steps, submit your application. You will receive a confirmation message on your phone regarding your eligibility.
Applicants have been warned not to pay for any services under the NYOTA Project, as all programs are provided free of charge.
