The Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA) has addressed claims that youth have started receiving funds for the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) via mobile money.
In a statement released on Monday, October 27, MSEA flagged an ongoing fraudulent scheme after receiving reports of youth receiving fake messages prompting recipients to send money to unknown numbers.
"We have received reports of fraudulent mobile money messages claiming that youth have received funds from the NYOTA Project or NYOTA Foundation and prompting recipients to send money to unknown numbers," the statement read.
According to MSEA, no mobile money payments have been made to any beneficiaries of the programme, nor does the government require anyone to send money.
The MSEA added, "Please note: NYOTA has not sent any mobile money-related payments."
The authority's clarification came at the back of a string of fake messages which have been doing rounds on social media showing mobile money transaction notifications claiming youth have received amounts of up to Ksh100,000 from 'the NYOTA Foundation'.
However, while flagging the messages as fake, MSEA further clarified that SMS communication to youth will be sent only from 'NYOTA KE' and through the project's verified social media pages.
“We urge the public to ignore, avoid sharing, and report any such messages or suspicious activity," the authority added.
NYOTA is a five-year transformative agenda by the government, funded by the World Bank. It aims to empower youths by addressing unemployment, income insecurity, and limited savings.
Last week, the Ministry of Cooperatives and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development urged youth eligible for the programme to attend a scheduled physical validation exercise on Friday, October 24.
The exercise was designed to ensure transparency and fairness in the selection process 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 skills for the job market, according to Ruto.
The programme will also recognise prior learning for those who have acquired technical skills through apprenticeships or informal work, awarding them certificates to enhance their employability.
Additionally, youth interested in entrepreneurship and small-scale business ventures will be eligible to receive grants of Ksh50,000 each.
