The government has extended the nationwide mentorship programme under the NYOTA Project to April 8, 2026, as new data shows that 98 per cent of beneficiaries who received startup capital have already launched their businesses.
In a statement on Tuesday, Principal Secretary Susan Mang’eni said the mentorship programme, which began on March 4, 2026, has been rolled out across all 1,450 wards in the country to support enterprise development.
The programme includes site visits, business guide talks, experience sharing sessions, cross-peer mentorship and networking opportunities aimed at helping beneficiaries start and grow their businesses.
The mentorship initiative follows the disbursement of the first tranche of NYOTA Business Support startup capital to 121,800 beneficiaries as part of a three-pronged approach comprising business skills training, funding and mentorship.
“To date, 94 per cent of the beneficiaries who received the first tranche of startup capital have been taken through the mentorship program, and 98% of them have already started their businesses. The remaining 2% are in the process of starting their business,” the statement said.
Findings from the programme indicate that the majority of participants are new entrants into entrepreneurship, with 65 per cent identified as first-time business owners. Another 19 per cent have less than one year of experience, 13 per cent have between one and three years of experience, while only 3 per cent have been in business for more than three years.
“This shows that the NYOTA Business Support is largely supporting emerging entrepreneurs who are at the early stages of building their enterprises,” the statement noted.
The programme has also recorded near gender parity, with women accounting for 51 per cent of beneficiaries who have undergone mentorship, compared to 49 per cent men.
In terms of sector distribution, agriculture, livestock, forestry and fisheries dominate at 41 per cent, followed by wholesale and retail at 26 per cent. Fashion and design accounts for 11 per cent, while beauty and cosmetics make up 7 per cent. Other sectors include ICT, manufacturing, tourism and hospitality, as well as transportation and storage.
The government said the mentorship programme, initially set to conclude on March 31, has been extended to allow the remaining six per cent of beneficiaries who are yet to participate to do so.
“The mentorship is a mandatory requirement for the 2nd business skills classroom training. Beneficiaries who have not engaged with their mentors are urged to contact their constituency NYOTA Project coordinators immediately,” the statement said.
The next phase of the programme will involve a second round of mandatory classroom-based business skills training scheduled to begin on April 15, 2026, across all constituencies.
Upon completion, beneficiaries will receive a second tranche of startup capital amounting to KSh 25,000, including KSh 3,000 set aside as savings under the National Social Security Fund Haba Haba scheme, bringing the total support to KSh 50,000 per beneficiary.
The government said the second disbursement is expected before the end of April 2026, paving the way for a second mentorship phase that will connect beneficiaries to the micro, small and medium enterprises ecosystem.
Beneficiaries in Dadaab Refugee Camp and Kakuma Refugee Camp are scheduled to undertake their training in April and May alongside host communities.
The programme has also engaged over 3,600 trainers and 5,500 mentors to support participants, while extending opportunities for graduate-level youth to take part in training and mentorship.
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