President William Ruto has affirmed the government’s commitment to implementing the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme under a whole-of-government approach, ensuring inclusivity, transparency, and effective coordination across all levels of administration.
Speaking during the programme’s rollout, President Ruto said NYOTA reflects a deliberate national effort to tackle unemployment, expand youth engagement, and promote innovation-driven empowerment.
“This is coming as a result of being deliberate about doing something about employment, empowerment, and engagement with young people,” the President said.
The initiative, which has attracted widespread attention, is credited for its potential to create tangible opportunities for young Kenyans. Much of its success so far has been attributed to the Principal Secretary for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development, Susan Mang’eni, whose leadership has been instrumental in shaping NYOTA’s design and delivery framework.
PS Mang’eni has been praised for steering a collaborative approach that aligns the programme with the government’s broader youth empowerment agenda, while embedding accountability and transparency mechanisms to safeguard resources and ensure impact.
Observers have described her leadership as a model of effective public service, noting that her commitment to youth empowerment is restoring public confidence in government-led initiatives.
By embedding NYOTA within a coordinated national framework — and with PS Mang’eni at the helm of implementation — the government aims to bridge employment gaps, spur enterprise growth, and unlock opportunities for millions of young Kenyans.







