President William Samoei Ruto has rolled out a multi-million-shilling youth empowerment package in the North Rift, a move that doubles as an economic intervention and a clear political signal as the country edges toward the 2027 General Election.
Speaking in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, where he presided over the disbursement of the Nyota North Rift Cluster Business Start-Up Capital, Ruto said the government had released about KSh250 million to more than 9,500 young people across Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Nandi, Trans Nzoia, Turkana and West Pokot counties. Each beneficiary received KSh22,000 to support small businesses, alongside an additional KSh3,000 deposited into their National Social Security Fund savings accounts.
“We are deliberately investing in the energy and creativity of our young people because they are central to our economic transformation agenda,” Ruto said. “This support is about giving them a real chance to grow enterprises, create jobs and secure their future.”
Beyond start-up capital, the President announced an expansion of the Nyota programme to cover skills certification and workplace training. He said 20,000 young people would be supported under the Recognition of Prior Learning component, with the government funding a certification course of up to one month to ease their transition into formal employment.
Another 90,000 youth, he added, will be enrolled in on-the-job training, where they will be attached to master craftsmen and women for skills transfer. The trainees will receive a monthly stipend of KSh6,000 for six months, while the government covers the cost of certification and pays the master trainers.
Ruto also said the government plans to train 600,000 young people, women and persons with disabilities to enable them to access the 30 per cent of government procurement opportunities reserved for these groups. “We want these opportunities to be practical, accessible and transformative, not just promises on paper,” he said.
The President framed the interventions as part of a broader strategy that includes labour mobility, affordable housing, development of markets and hostels, and the expansion of digital jobs. According to Ruto, the combined programmes are aimed at confronting unemployment and eradicating poverty, particularly among the youth.
Politically, the rollout comes as Ruto intensifies engagement in regions that will be critical to his re-election bid in 2027. The North Rift has traditionally been a strong support base, and the scale of the disbursements is likely to be read as both an economic boost and a goodwill gesture ahead of the next polls.
Analysts note that youth-focused cash transfers, training programmes and access to government procurement have become a central pillar of Ruto’s messaging as he seeks to defend his record on jobs and the cost of living. With unemployment remaining a top concern nationally, the success or failure of initiatives like Nyota could shape how young voters judge his first term.
As the President toured the region, he urged beneficiaries to put the funds to productive use, insisting that the government would continue backing programmes that translate public spending into visible livelihoods. “Our commitment is to ensure that no young person is left behind as we build a prosperous and inclusive Kenya,” he said.
