Are These Legitimate NYOTA Fund Advertisements Published in Kenyan Newspapers? 

By Nancy Oseur 

A public Facebook group (Yetu Reggae) with more than 172,000 members shared this post on June 30, 2026. Attached to the post is what appears to be a Daily Nation newspaper advertisement claiming that Kenyans can receive KSh 36,000 through the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme. The advert directs applicants to send KSh 200 via M-Pesa to a specified till number and also provides a phone number for follow-up inquiries. 

Similar claims were also shared from an account with the username Benta Muthoni alleging that the same advertisement was placed on  The Standard, Daily Nation and Kenya Newspaper. 

Screengrabs of the fabricated  front pages of The Standard, Daily Nation and Kenya Newspaper

 Background

The National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) fund is a five-year youth empowerment programme by the Government of Kenya funded by the World Bank and is set to tackle youth unemployment by creating opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship and skills development. On October 6, 2025, the first nationwide grassroots sensitization and registration campaign kicked off across all 47 counties. The campaigns took place from 6th to 12th October 2025, as part of the government’s broader commitment to empower young people through skills development, enterprise support, and employment creation.

The grant was officially launched at the Mumias Sports Complex on November 7, 2025, with the first disbursement for the Western region covering Kakamega, Vihiga, Busia, and Bungoma counties. During this initial launch, over 13,000 youth beneficiaries each received an initial business grant of KSh 25,000 as part of a total targeted KSh 50,000 package. The funds were disbursed to boost local enterprises following a four-day Business Development Services (BDS) training. The NYOTA project targets about 820,000 youth aged 18–29 years, and up to 35 years for persons with disabilities, across all 47 counties.

Through its Business Support component, eligible beneficiaries receive entrepreneurship training before qualifying for business start-up capital. 

On June 2, 2026, the Ministry of Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development announced that the second tranche of business support capital would be disbursed on 30 June. 

On July 10, 2026, the government began disbursing KSh 3 billion in the second phase of the NYOTA Business Support Programme; 122,203 young entrepreneurs across the country were set to benefit. The funds, which form part of the programme’s KSh 50,000 business grant, were released to beneficiaries who had completed the required Business Development Services (BDS) training. 

Following this announcement, the graphics calling on Kenyans to apply to the fund began to circulate on Facebook. 

Verification

Piga Firimbi reviewed the viral poster claiming that President William Ruto has announced KSh 36,000 for Kenyans who did not receive NYOTA funds and found the following discrepancies:

1. The poster is not an authentic Daily Nation publication

Although the image bears the Daily Nation logo, it does not appear on any of Daily Nation’s official platforms, including its website or verified social media pages. A search of Daily Nation’s publications found no article or breaking news announcing a KSh 36,000 government payout to Kenyans. 

2. The payment instructions reveal it is a scam

The poster instructs applicants to pay KSh 200 through the Till Number 4926927. Piga Firimbi wired money through the till to check the recipient’s details. The payment confirmation identified the recipient as Dancan Komba. 

Piga Firimbi established that applicants are not required to pay any fee to apply for, register or receive funding under the NYOTA programme. The official programme is free, and successful beneficiaries are selected through the government’s established processes before receiving any business support capital. 

Legitimate government programmes do not require applicants to pay registration or processing fees before receiving grants. Government services and NYOTA applications are free.

3. The amount contradicts the official NYOTA programme

The poster claims every eligible Kenyan can receive KSh36,000.

However, the official NYOTA Business Support programme provides business start-up grants only to successful applicants who have completed entrepreneurship training and met programme requirements. The project does not have a nationwide KSh36,000 cash transfer for all Kenyans. The amount given to eligible youths is KSh. 50,000, and not KSh. 36,000 as alleged in the poster.

4. Government has warned against fake NYOTA payment messages

The State Department for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which oversees the programme, has repeatedly cautioned the public against fake notices promising NYOTA payments or requesting money from applicants.

On June 29, 2026, NYOTA dismissed the circulating graphic as fake.

5. The design contains several red flags

The poster also displays characteristics commonly found in online scams:

It uses sensational phrases such as “BREAKING NEWS” and “KSH 36,000 RECEIVED!” to create urgency. It includes an “Authorized Manager” with a personal mobile phone number instead of official government contacts. It asks users to make a payment through a Buy Goods Till Number, a method frequently used by fraudsters.

It contains grammatical and formatting inconsistencies that differ from Daily Nation’s editorial standards. It does not provide a publication date, author, page number, or article reference, all of which are standard features of genuine Daily Nation publications.

Verdict

The NYOTA Fund advertisements allegedly published in Kenyan newspapers are FAKE.