Ruto’s Nyota programme card and the making of 2027 campaign juggernaut

As the President launched the programme at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki presided over the Nakuru, Baringo and Nyandarua cluster in Nakuru County, while Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi led the Western Kenya launch covering Kakamega, Vihiga, Busia and Bungoma at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kakamega.

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku was deployed to Chuka for the Meru, Embu and Tharaka Nithi cluster, while his Lands , Public Works, Housing and Urban Development colleague Alice Wahome led the launch for Nyeri, Kirinyaga and Murang’a in Murang’a County.

Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua presided over the Eastern clump covering Machakos, Makueni and Kitui from Kitui County.

Similar launches were held in Nanyuki for Laikipia, Isiolo and Samburu; Kapenguria for Turkana, Trans Nzoia and West Pokot; Eldoret for Nandi, Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet; Bomet for Narok, Kericho and Bomet; Malindi for Kilifi, Lamu and Tana River; Mombasa for Mombasa, Kwale and Taita Taveta; Kisumu for Siaya, Kisumu and Homa Bay; Kisii for Kisii, Nyamira and Migori; and in Mandera, Wajir, Garissa and Marsabit.

President Ruto addressed the country on a live broadcast relayed to the launch sites, allowing Cabinet Secretaries and senior officials to reinforce a single national message.

The coordinated deployment was meant to give the Kenya Kwanza administration a nationwide footprint in a single day, projecting government presence across virtually every part of the country while ensuring minister were the principal communicators of one of the administration’s flagship youth economic empowerment programmes.

The launch also marked the second phase of the Nyota programme, which seeks to provide young people with start-up capital, business training and mentorship to help them establish and expand enterprises capable of creating jobs and improving livelihoods.

More than 14,000 beneficiaries from Nairobi, Kiambu and Kajiado counties attended the Nairobi event, while parallel launches enabled beneficiaries from the 47 counties to participate.

The government committed Sh5.5 billion to support 110,000 people aged 18 and 29 in the first phase of the programme.

Overall, Nyota is expected to benefit about 820,000 young Kenyans through entrepreneurship support, skills development and employment.

“We will ensure no one is left behind. There were problems in the past and some people were left behind. Some regions were also left behind in many ways,” President Ruto said. 

“Today, we have decided that every Kenyan must feel proud to be in this country. That is why Nyota is being rolled out in the 1,450 wards.”

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He added that Nyota is designed to ensure young people participate in Kenya’s economic growth regardless of their education level, social status or political affiliation.

“This programme is designed for those aged 18 to 29. It is specifically designed for Kenya’s young people,” President Ruto said.

He added that the programme targets young people who in the past have struggled to access conventional financing because of limited resources, lack of collateral or inadequate business networks.

Dr Ruto said the implementation of Nyota would be guided by transparency and accountability and not political patronage.

“You do not have to be an expert, a governor, a chief or a high-ranking person to benefit. This programme is transparent and accountable. Nyota must not be subject to patronage,” he added. 

The President advised beneficiaries to report anyone demanding money or political allegiance in exchange for access to funding and training.

“Is there anyone here who has paid to be in Nyota? Is there anyone who has been asked what political party they belong to? This programme is not political. It is a business programme,” he said.

The President added that the programme deliberately targets young people who have often been excluded from economic opportunities because of limited education, inadequate skills or lack of access to capital.

“We decided that all young people – even those who completed Standard Eight, those who left school in Form Two, Form Three or Form Four, those who never had the opportunity to advance their education – will be part of this programme,” President Ruto said. 

“They are also Kenyans and the government must take care of them.”

Beyond financing, beneficiaries will receive business training, mentorship and continuous support to improve the sustainability of their enterprises.

“It is not enough for us to give you money. We are going to train you. We will mentor you and we will walk with you until you succeed,” he said. 

The President added that for many young entrepreneurs, the programme offers an opportunity to turn long-held business ideas into reality.

In Bungoma County, a young man who identified himself as Musembe said he used the Nyota funds to establish an electronics shop after years of struggling to raise capital.

“I had the dream and ambition to start a business but the biggest challenge was raising enough money for stock. Nyota has given me a starting point and the confidence to build something,” Mr Musembe said. 

In Kakamega, Mr Sonya Wembo said he used the money to venture into poultry farming.

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“I always believed I could succeed in farming, but needed resources to begin. The funding has allowed me to buy what I need to start a poultry project and build a business that can sustain my family,” he said. 

In Kitui County, Mr Masoso Kituti said he opened a butchery and now has a stable income. 

“Many young people are willing to work or start businesses but cannot as they lack capital. This opportunity by Nyota has given me a chance to create a livelihood and grow one step at a time,” Mr Kituti said. 

Najma, a resident of Garissa, said Nyota funding helped expand her business.

“The support has helped move my business to another level. Before the Nyota funds, I was limited by the amount of stock I could afford. Now I have the ability to expand and plan for more growth,” she said. 

In Eldoret, a local who identified himself as Kiprono, said he used the Nyota cash to venture into avocado farming.

He described it as a long-term enterprise.

“I identified farming as an opportunity to improve my life for many years to come. With the Nyota programme support, I have I started the avocado project and expect the future to be bright,” Mr Kiprono said.

While the programme focuses on creating and expanding economic opportunities for young Kenyans, yesterday’s launch offered one of the clearest demonstrations of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s evolving mobilisation strategy.

Rather than relying on presidential tours, the government deployed senior officials to communicate the same policy message simultaneously, dramatically expanding its reach while maintaining a coordinated national narrative.

The plan highlights the increasingly prominent role Cabinet Secretaries have assumed beyond their portfolios. 

Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries have become a regular feature at presidential tours, project inspections, economic forums and public meetings, often serving as the administration’s chief communicators on government programmes.

Their growing prominence has, however, renewed scrutiny over their involvement in political mobilisation as the 2027 General Election approaches. 

Unlike career civil servants who are required by the Constitution and the Leadership and Integrity Act to remain politically neutral, Cabinet Secretaries occupy a distinct position in the Executive arm of the government. 

They are appointees who serve at the pleasure of the President and are permitted to engage in political activities.

Under Section 25 of the Conflict of Interest Act, Cabinet Secretaries may campaign for parties and candidates, champion the interests of a political party and serve as political agents.

However, the law draws a clear boundary on the use of public resources. 

The Election Offences Act, 2016, prohibits public officers from using government vehicles, public funds or state resources to advance the electoral interests of any political party or candidate.

For observers, Friday's Nyota Phase II launch provided an early indication of how the Kenya Kwanza administration could leverage coordinated government engagements to maintain a grassroots presence as attention gradually shifts to the General Election.

Although the events were officially organised to launch the second phase of the Nyota programme, the scale of the deployment, the coordinated messaging and the prominent role assigned to Cabinet Secretaries demonstrated an increasingly sophisticated government communication apparatus projecting a unified national presence far beyond where the President can travel.

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