NYOTA beneficiaries to be considered for allocation at Ziwani Market – Trade CEC Kuria
The 612 million Ziwani Wholesale Market in Bondeni Estate, Nakuru East Sub-county
Young entrepreneurs who received funding under the national NYOTA programme will be among those who benefit from stall allocations at the upcoming Ziwani Wholesale Market in Bondeni Estate, Nakuru East Sub-county, the county government has revealed.
Stephen Kuria, the County Executive Committee (CEC) Member for Trade, says the county is actively identifying NYOTA beneficiaries from across Nakuru and encouraging them to register their interest in occupying space at the five-storey facility, which is expected to open within the next six weeks.
“We are encouraging the young people who got that money from around to come pay us a visit,” Kuria says, noting that his department has already compiled between 70 and 80 names drawn specifically from Nakuru East and Nakuru West sub-counties.
To qualify for consideration, Kuria notes that beneficiaries will be required to provide proof that they received the NYOTA funds and adds that the verification process is relatively straightforward, given that the disbursements were made via mobile money, leaving a clear trail.
“You must prove. Because that money was given, it's very easy to identify,” he says.
The county is also working in conjunction with the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA), the national body that oversees support for small traders, to cross-reference and validate the data being collected.
Despite the momentum, Kuria acknowledges that the exact number of NYOTA beneficiaries who will be absorbed into the market has not yet been determined.
“We don’t have the numbers at the moment because we are still collecting the data,” he says.
The 70 to 80 names currently on record represent only an initial figure, and the county expects that number to grow as outreach widens across the two sub-counties.
The Ziwani market, which cost the county Sh 612 million to construct, will offer stalls on a license fee basis with no rent charged - an arrangement that Kuria opines makes it particularly well-suited for young traders still finding their footing.