Government Confirms Training Schedule for NYOTA Beneficiaries Across 25 Counties
The government has officially unveiled the training schedule for beneficiaries of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Project, outlining a series of Business Development Skills (BDS) sessions set to take place across 25 counties between November 14 and 17.
In a notice released on Thursday, November 13, the NYOTA Project confirmed that selected participants will receive official SMS notifications specifying their designated training venues.
“NYOTA Business Development Skills (BDS) Training will be commencing in the following counties. Those selected will receive official SMS notifications indicating the venue of their training,” the notice stated.
The statement emphasized that attendance at the training is mandatory for all selected beneficiaries, as it serves as a prerequisite for receiving business capital support under the project.
“Attendance of the BDS training is mandatory for all selected beneficiaries to qualify for the next step; which is receiving business capital support under the NYOTA Project,” the project added.
Training to Cover Multiple Regions
According to the schedule, the BDS training will be rolled out across different regions as follows:
- Lower Eastern Region: Kitui, Machakos, and Makueni counties.
- North Rift Region: Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, West Pokot, Turkana, Baringo, and Laikipia counties.
- Upper Eastern Region: Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Embu, and Isiolo counties.
- South Rift and Maa Region: Nakuru, Narok, Kajiado, and Nandi counties.
- Nyanza and South Rift Region: Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori, Kisii, Nyamira, Kericho, and Bomet counties.
The NYOTA Project, which is spearheaded under the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA), aims to empower young Kenyans through entrepreneurship training and financial support to boost small business growth and job creation.
Warning Over Fake NYOTA App and Scams
The announcement comes just a day after the NYOTA Project issued a public warning about a fake mobile application falsely claiming to be affiliated with the initiative.
In a separate statement on Wednesday, November 12, NYOTA cautioned the public against falling victim to scammers distributing misinformation about a supposed NYOTA fund app.
“NYOTA Project has no fund app. The information being circulated about the fund app is fake. Youth, let’s stay alert so that we don’t fall victim to fraudsters,” the notice read.
This warning followed an earlier scam alert from MSEA on October 27, after reports emerged of fraudulent messages claiming that beneficiaries had received NYOTA funds via M-PESA.
“We have received reports of fraudulent M-Pesa messages claiming that youth have received funds from the NYOTA Project or NYOTA Foundation and prompting recipients to send money to unknown numbers,” MSEA stated.
The authority clarified that no M-PESA disbursements had been made under the NYOTA programme and urged Kenyans to treat any such messages as fraudulent.
“Please note: NYOTA has not sent any M-Pesa-related payments. All official SMS communication to youth will be sent only from ‘Nyota Ke’ and through the project’s verified social media pages,” MSEA added.
In conclusion, the authority urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious messages or scams targeting unsuspecting youth.
“We urge the public to ignore, avoid sharing, and report any such messages or suspicious activity,” the statement said.
The NYOTA Project continues to position itself as a key driver of youth empowerment in Kenya, focusing on equipping young entrepreneurs with critical business management skills and access to financial support to foster sustainable economic growth.
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Government Confirms Training Schedule for NYOTA Beneficiaries Across 25 Counties