Ruto Launches New Fund to Train and Empower 600,000 Single Mothers and Women

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President William Ruto has unveiled a new government initiative aimed at empowering women and single mothers through training and access to economic opportunities.

Speaking during the funeral service of Weston Kanja — father to Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja — in Thome, Laikipia County, the Head of State announced that the government will launch a special fund to train 600,000 single mothers and women across the country.

Ruto stated that the programme, to be implemented jointly by national and county governments, will focus on equipping women with business skills and entrepreneurial knowledge to enable them to run sustainable enterprises.

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“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 teach them how to do business and empower themselves,” Ruto said.

The initiative will complement the ongoing NYOTA Programme, which targets vulnerable youth and women through mentorship, training, and access to financing. It will also operate within the Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) framework that reserves a share of public tenders for women, youth, and persons with disabilities.

However, the President did not provide details on whether participants will receive direct financial disbursements from the new fund.

Earlier this week, Ruto announced that beneficiaries of the World Bank-backed NYOTA Programme will begin receiving funds from November 4. The Ksh20 billion programme will train 90,000 youths in technical and vocational skills while certifying those with prior informal experience.

The President noted that beginning Friday, October 24, a nationwide verification exercise will be launched in all 290 constituencies to ensure that only eligible individuals benefit from the empowerment initiatives.