MSME PS Mang’eni Unveils NYOTA Fund Progress, With 65% being first-time entrepreneurs
NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 1 – The NYOTA Project’s Business Support Component has been spearheading a transformative Nationwide Mentorship Program since March 4 2026 activating a presence across all 1,450 wards in Kenya.
By integrating immersive site visits and expert business guide talks with collaborative experience-sharing and cross-peer networking, the initiative provides a robust ecosystem for beneficiaries to start and grow their businesses.
Principal Secretary State Department for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Ms Susan Mang’eni while addressing the media on the project noted that mandatory mentorship program follows the nationwide disbursement of the first tranche of NYOTA Business Support startup capital to 121,800 beneficiaries, as part of the 3-pronged pathway for enterprise development: business skills training, funding and mentorship. “
“To date, 94 % 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”, said PS Mang’eni.
The mentorship program has revealed that 65% of the mentees are first-time entrepreneurs, while 19% have less than one year of business experience.
Mang’eni added that 13% have between one and three years of experience, while only 3% have been in business for more than three years it shows that the NYOTA Business Support is largely supporting emerging entrepreneurs who are at the early stages of building their enterprises.
In terms of gender distribution, 51% of the NYOTA business support beneficiaries who have undergone mentorship are female, while 49% are male, reflecting a near-equal gender parity in the NYOTA Project.
Additionally, Agriculture, livestock, forestry, and fisheries value chains have emerged as the most popular sectors, accounting for 41% of the enterprises, closely followed by the wholesale and retail sector at 26%, Fashion and design at 11%, and beauty and cosmetics 7%.
Other significant sectors include ICT, manufacturing, tourism and hospitality and transportation and storage.
The nationwide mentorship program was scheduled to end today, 31st March 2026.
“We have, however, extended the deadline to Wednesday, 8th April 2026 to give the remaining 6% of the beneficiaries who are yet to turn up an opportunity for mentorship”.
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 conclusion of the mentorship program will be followed by the 2nd mandatory business skills classroom training scheduled to commence on 15th April 2026 in all constituencies across the country.
Upon completion of the business skills classroom training, the beneficiaries will receive their 2nd tranche of the NYOTA Business Support startup capital of Ksh. 25,000 (with Ksh. 3,000 being savings under the Haba Haba scheme by NSSF), bringing the total disbursement to Ksh. 50,000 per beneficiary as per project design.
Further, the disbursement of the 2nd tranche of the business start-up capital is earmarked to take place before the end of April 2026, after the completion of the 2nd business skills classroom training, paving the way for the 2nd mentorship period that will introduce the beneficiaries to the MSME ecosystem for enhanced business support.
The beneficiaries from Daadab and Kakuma Refugee camps are scheduled to undertake their classroom business skills training in April and May 2026 in the respective regions, alongside the beneficiaries from the host communities.
Nyota project has also extended economic engagement opportunities to graduate-level youth. participating in training and mentorship. Over 3600 trainers and 5500 mentors have been engaged to support the NYOTA entrepreneurs.
