Politics is taking the shine off noble Nyota empowerment fund

President William Ruto during the disbursement of Sh220 million to beneficiaries of Nyota business start-up from Siaya, Kisumu and Homa Bay counties at Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Kisumu, on February 2, 2026. [PCS]

The government's National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (Nyota) Project, which is funded by the World Bank, is a great idea. There is no doubt about that. There are many young people who become stranded soon after graduation. They have papers that do not generate any income after years of promise that education leads to a steady livelihood in the form of employment, be it self-employed or formal. They are desperate to hold onto any string of hope out of poverty.

There are some criteria for one to qualify for the grant. The catchword there is “vulnerable youth.” One would imagine that millions of young people in Kenya are vulnerable. There are online application guidelines for the four main assessment areas for each applicant. Let me paraphrase the criteria as follows.

To be eligible for the Nyota Fund, among other criteria, applicants must be unemployed, underemployed, or living on a low income. The fund targets vulnerable youth to provide comprehensive support through employment opportunities, business start-up capital, digital skills training, and mentorship programmes. All applicants must meet these core criteria simultaneously to qualify for the various intervention components, including the Sh50,000 start-up capital, a monthly stipend of Sh6,000 for on-the-job experience, and access to socio-emotional and work-readiness skills training. Those interested in the Business Support component must also complete the Entrepreneurship Aptitude Test to assess their entrepreneurial mindset and readiness before capital disbursement.

Since I don’t qualify to apply for the funds based on the age limit, I do not know the actual rigour involved.

What concerns me the most is how the Fund is packaged in public discourse: Political tokenism laced with benevolence of sorts. That bit takes away the nobility of the Fund.

First, young people should not be paraded after receiving the funds. Announcing the number of beneficiaries and allowing a few real testimonies is enough. But to sit tens of beneficiaries for the cameras objectifies people as a means to an end. It carries the image of insensitivity to human dignity. A lot of humanitarian aid nowadays struggles to capture moving stories because, over the years, very strong criticisms have been raised on “advertising and benefiting from poverty.” There is a thin line between telling the story of the beneficiaries and using such a story to exploit people as a reputation strategy.

Second, whenever politicians talk about the Fund, one gets the impression that any youth can apply. The announcement indicates the Fund is for the vulnerable youths. That means many young people may not qualify. But I don’t think that is how the packaging has been done. The overall tone is that Nyota Fund is solving the unemployment problem, when in fact, the true position is that it contributes to a reduction in unemployment.

Third, the timing of the fund disbursement raises eyebrows. For instance, when youth receive money in a political gathering, it raises both ethical and strategic questions. How is the process of getting the grant set up? Would money for qualified beneficiaries be disbursed right at the political rally?

Fourth, while there is an aptitude test for entrepreneurship, it will be better to actually train those who qualify for the Fund before giving them money. The experience of working with young people on self-employment or innovation and entrepreneurship grants should inform the designers of this Fund. Giving young people, who have not gone through a thorough business programme, Sh50,000 may end up being counterproductive. Data on similar government funds can easily demonstrate that the noble but ambitious Nyota Fund may not translate into significant results. The important thing is to train those with aptitude for entrepreneurship, as well as all those other areas of assessment, before giving the money. We are putting young people into unnecessary temptation.

Finally, there is a need to tone down political rhetoric around this Fund if indeed it aims to benefit vulnerable youth. It is a noble project with real potential, but risks turning into a bait for political expediency.

-Dr Mokua is the Executive Director, Loyola Centre for Media and Communication