Billions spent, little to show: Why Kenya's youth funds keep failing

President William Ruto engages with graduate interns under The Affordable Housing Programme at State House, Nairobi. [PCS]

Every Kenyan administration takes power with a familiar promise: empower the youth, uplift women, unlock entrepreneurship and turn job seekers into job creators. And every administration exits leaving behind a trail of funds, frameworks, pilot programmes and billions of shillings whose impact is difficult to trace beyond glossy launch events, colourful banners and political speeches.

From the Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF) to the Women Enterprise Fund, Uwezo Fund, the Hustler Fund and now the Sh30 billion National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme, the State’s approach to empowerment has remained consistent in ambition; but painfully inconsistent in outcomes.