Omtatah: 'Kenya sliding into imperial presidency'

Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah on Spice FM. [Screengrab]

A fresh political storm has erupted over  President William Ruto’s Nyota youth fund after Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah accused the government of consolidating power and violating fiscal law.

Speaking on Spice FM on Tuesday, October 14, Omtatah said the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (Nyota) Fund reflects what he described as “reckless borrowing and political self-preservation rather than national progress.”

“When it comes to accountability for this money, President Ruto will have to explain to the people of Kenya, as in Article 226 clause five. If you are a public officer and misuse your powers contrary to the law, you are liable,” Omtatah noted.

The Nyota Fund, officially known as the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (Nyota) Project, is a World Bank-financed initiative launched by Ruto to address youth unemployment.

The programme aims to support 100,000 young Kenyans with Sh50,000 grants each after short training sessions, with 70 beneficiaries selected from all 1,450 wards.

According to the Interior Ministry, the Nyota Fund builds on the earlier Kenya Youth Employment Opportunities Project (KYEOP) and targets more than 820,000 youth nationwide.

 Hustler Fund defaulters will not qualify unless they clear their debts.

The rollout marks the first phase of a five-year plan, with the World Bank committing Sh13.6 billion for the full programme.

Omtatah questioned the legality of borrowing for the programme, claiming it was not properly reflected in the national budget.

 He warned that such borrowing risks burdening taxpayers with what he termed “odious debt.”

“On the Nyota Fund, this kind of recklessness won’t move the country forward. We’re stagnating because politics is driven by personal ambition, not a credible agenda. The President’s actions seem more about self-preservation than national progress,” the senator observed.

He further accused Ruto of undermining institutional independence by consolidating power over the National Treasury and sidelining technocrats.

“If we take money from the President and place it under an independent treasury controlled by Parliament, the country will sober up. People will start focusing on their MPs, who will then have real power to drive development,” Omtatah explained, alleging that Ruto has weaponised the treasury to reward loyal regions.