Ruto Vows Full Transparency in NYOTA Fund Amid Fears of Favouritism
President William Ruto has moved to quell growing concerns over alleged graft and favouritism in the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Fund, insisting the programme is transparent and strictly merit-based.
Speaking on January 8 during the disbursement of NYOTA business start-up capital in Eldoret, the Head of State strongly defended the World Bank-backed initiative, dismissing claims that beneficiaries were selected through bribery or political connections.
Addressing hundreds of young entrepreneurs, President Ruto publicly challenged anyone who may have accessed the fund through corrupt means to come forward — a move clearly aimed at silencing critics questioning the integrity of the programme.
“I am very happy that there is no one who has been pushed to be here or anyone who has bribed anyone to be here,” Ruto told the gathering.
“If there is anyone who has bribed his way to this list, let them stand.”
The President said he had issued firm instructions to government officials overseeing the NYOTA programme to ensure full transparency, accountability and fairness in the selection and funding process, stressing that the initiative must benefit only deserving Kenyan youth.
His remarks come amid heightened public scrutiny of government-funded youth programmes, many of which have previously been dogged by allegations of mismanagement, ghost beneficiaries and political patronage.
Ruto appeared to distance the NYOTA Fund from earlier initiatives, openly criticising past youth funding programmes which, he claimed, lacked clear structures and were vulnerable to abuse.
“There was an earlier programme that was run without transparency,” the President said.
“You could not tell who the beneficiaries were or even know what impact it had on the lives of Kenyans.”
The NYOTA programme, which runs for five years, is jointly funded by the World Bank and the Government of Kenya and is designed to tackle the country’s persistent youth unemployment crisis — one of the most pressing socio-economic challenges facing the Ruto administration.
Under the programme, young entrepreneurs receive business training, mentorship, and KSh50,000 in start-up capital to help them establish or expand small enterprises.
The funds are released in two phases of KSh25,000 each. From every phase, beneficiaries receive KSh22,000 for business operations, while KSh3,000 is deposited into their National Social Security Fund (NSSF) savings account, a measure intended to encourage long-term financial security.
The programme specifically targets vulnerable youth aged between 18 and 29 years, with eligibility capped at a maximum of secondary school education (Form Four). Applicants holding university degrees or higher-level diplomas are excluded, a condition aimed at prioritising those with limited access to formal employment opportunities.
President Ruto has repeatedly framed youth empowerment as a cornerstone of his administration, promising economic inclusion and job creation through targeted funding, skills development and enterprise support.
However, opposition figures and civil society groups have continued to question whether such programmes can avoid the pitfalls that plagued previous government initiatives.
By issuing a direct challenge and publicly defending the NYOTA Fund, Ruto appears determined to position the programme as a clean break from the past — and a test case for his broader promise of transparent governance.
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Ruto Vows Full Transparency in NYOTA Fund Amid Fears of Favouritism