Kisii Youths Erupt in Night Protests Over ‘Shocking’ NYOTA Pay Cut as Ruto Programme Faces Backlash
Tensions flared in Kisii County on Tuesday night after hundreds of young people enrolled in the government-backed National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme staged protests over what they described as delayed and drastically reduced payments.
The unrest, which unfolded in Nyaribari Chache constituency, saw aggrieved participants accuse programme officials of failing to honour a promised daily stipend of Ksh1,000. Instead, the youths claimed they were handed just Ksh300, sparking anger and confusion.
According to eyewitness accounts, the protests began at around 8pm and stretched late into the night, with demonstrators demanding immediate clarification from coordinators overseeing the training exercise. The situation escalated to the point where dozens of participants were forced to spend the night at a nearby primary school following a standoff with officials.
“There has been an issue of communication since this programme started. They have never told us when we will receive the money,” one frustrated participant said. “When we asked them, they said the payment system had issues.”
He added: “Today they came here to give us Ksh300 instead of Ksh1,000 per day. What is Ksh300 paid after three days of training?”
Participants accused organisers of a lack of transparency and poor planning, with several vowing to continue protesting until their grievances are addressed.
The NYOTA initiative is a five-year government programme, supported by the World Bank, aimed at empowering more than 101,000 vulnerable and unemployed youth aged between 18 and 29 across all 47 counties. Beneficiaries had been led to expect potential earnings of up to Ksh50,000 upon completing training and related activities.
The protests come just a day after the government announced the rollout of the programme’s second phase, following the conclusion of its initial phase in February. However, the latest developments highlight growing dissatisfaction among participants, with reports emerging from various regions citing delays in the disbursement of funds tied to the Ksh28 billion project.
As pressure mounts, attention is now turning to government officials to clarify the discrepancies and restore confidence in one of the country’s flagship youth empowerment programmes.
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