For many young mothers struggling to balance childcare and survival, a new government initiative promises a much-needed lifeline.
The National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme, launched this week, will provide maternity support of up to KSh16,000 to eligible young women through a savings-linked insurance plan designed to promote financial stability after childbirth.
The initiative forms part of a five-year, World Bank-backed plan that aims to improve the lives of more than 820,000 jobless youth by creating jobs, boosting earnings, and instilling a culture of saving.
“This programme is about giving young people—especially young mothers—a fair shot at building a future,” a senior Labour Ministry official said on Tuesday. “We’re not just offering short-term aid, but helping them learn to save and invest in their own growth.”
Under NYOTA, youths aged 18 to 29—including refugees in Garissa and Turkana—can enrol, while persons living with disabilities are eligible up to age 35. Applicants must have no university or college education and must not already be participating in other state programmes such as Climate WorX or the Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project (KYEOP).
Once accepted, participants are automatically registered with the National Social Security Fund’s Haba Haba savings scheme. Monthly deductions are made from their stipends for six months, encouraging a consistent saving habit.
To reinforce this habit, the government will match double the amount saved, up to a maximum bonus of KSh3,000.
For young mothers, the maternity benefit stands out. Those who save at least KSh400 a month for four months (totalling KSh1,600) become eligible to receive KSh4,000 per month for four months—a total of KSh16,000—while on maternity leave.
Beyond the maternity support, NYOTA promises to equip 90,000 young people with hands-on work experience through short-term placements with employers and local artisans. Another 100,000 youth, drawn from wards across the country, will each receive KSh50,000 in start-up capital for small businesses—alongside entrepreneurship training.
In addition, over 600,000 youth will undergo specialised training under the Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) scheme, helping them qualify for and compete in public tenders.
Applications are open until 12 October and are conducted entirely online. Interested applicants can dial *254#, select the NYOTA option, fill in their details, and choose between training, entrepreneurship, or skill recognition pathways.
Officials, however, warned that Hustler Fund defaulters will be excluded from the programme.
The NYOTA plan, government insiders say, is designed to combine short-term support with long-term empowerment. “We want to move away from one-off cash handouts to real empowerment—training, work experience, and savings that build confidence and independence,” said the official.