President William Ruto has announced plans to establish a new fund targeting single mothers and women to support their economic empowerment.
Speaking during the funeral service of Weston Kanja, the father of Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, on Thursday in Thome, Laikipia County, President Ruto stated that the government will train women through national and county government programmes to help them gain business expertise.
He explained that the new initiative will complement the ongoing NYOTA programme, which aims to uplift vulnerable groups across the country by offering training, mentorship, and access to funding.
“Women, you know, have your chance. We want single mothers and all women to come. We are looking for 600,000 of them to come for training so that we can train them, either via the national or county government, on how to conduct businesses and empower themselves,” the president said.
The programme will be implemented under the Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) framework, which reserves a portion of government tenders for women, youth, and persons with disabilities to boost their participation in public procurement.
Under the current framework, to benefit, eligible enterprises must register for an AGPO certificate, which requires at least 70 per cent ownership by women or youth, and have a business that is at least 51 per cent owned by persons with disabilities
However, the Head of State did not delve into the specifics of the fund and as to whether individual participants will be getting direct disbursements to their accounts.
Meanwhile, earlier this week, President Ruto announced that the government would begin disbursing funds to beneficiaries of the World Bank-backed NYOTA Programme starting November 4.
Speaking during the Mashujaa Day celebrations held at Ithookwe Stadium in Kitui County on Monday, the President revealed that the government, with the help of the World Bank, has set aside Ksh20 billion to fund various youth initiatives under the NYOTA Programme.
Ruto further announced that starting this Friday, October 24, the government will launch a nationwide verification exercise across all 290 constituencies to ensure that only eligible youth benefit from the programme.
Under the NYOTA Programme, 90,000 youth will undergo technical and vocational training aimed at equipping them with practical expertise for the job market.
The programme will also recognise prior learning for those who have acquired technical expertise through apprenticeships or informal work, awarding them certificates to enhance their employability.
