Nairobi — The government will on Friday roll out the second phase of its youth enterprise support programme, disbursing Sh50,000 business grants to 122,000 young entrepreneurs in a nationwide exercise aimed at expanding access to startup capital and promoting self-employment.

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki said the latest disbursement will benefit Kenyans aged between 18 and 29 years, with at least 70 beneficiaries selected from every ward across the country.

The programme represents a total investment of approximately Sh6.1 billion, with each beneficiary receiving a non-refundable grant of Sh50,000 to either start or expand small businesses.

Kindiki said an additional 33,000 youths have been incorporated into the programme under the second tranche, with beneficiaries distributed equitably across all regions of the country.

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"The Government will disburse the second tranche of the Sh50,000 business support grants to 122,000 youths aged between 18 and 29 years, at least 70 beneficiaries per ward across Kenya," he said.

President William Ruto will preside over the main disbursement ceremony in Nairobi, while Cabinet Secretaries will simultaneously oversee similar events at 17 other centres across the country through a live national broadcast linking all the venues.

Beneficiaries from multiple counties will converge at the 18 designated venues for the coordinated rollout.

Kindiki said preparations for the nationwide exercise were finalized during a planning meeting involving Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries, where the government agreed on operational arrangements and a unified communication strategy for the youth programme.

The government has increasingly promoted enterprise grants, affordable credit and skills development as key pillars of its youth empowerment strategy, arguing that small businesses remain one of the country's largest sources of employment.