MP Mbui: Ruto’s NYOTA programme is a PR stunt, not real youth support

Aloys Michael 14th October, 2025 08:07 AM

Caption:Mbui dismisses Ruto’s Nyota Fund as political gimmick

Kathiani Member of Parliament Robert Mbui has dismissed President William Ruto’s newly launched National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme as a political gimmick aimed at attracting international funding rather than genuinely empowering the youth.

Also Watch: Ruto unveils Ksh5B NYOTA youth fund, targets one million beneficiaries

Speaking in an interview on a local TV station on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, the MP claimed that the initiative is yet another public relations exercise by the government, with no real innovation or structural difference from existing youth and women funding mechanisms.

“The new NYOTA fund is just political theatrics and gymnastics. They have come up with a new name, but it’s the same old thing. The more things change, the more they remain the same,” he said.

“This regime is good at PR. You are told big things at the beginning, and then when things go bad, they start shouting.”

His remarks come amid growing mixed reactions over the transparency of vetting and the awarding of the beneficiaries.

Mbui questioned the motive behind launching NYOTA, suggesting it was a strategy to secure financial support from global institutions like the World Bank rather than a practical solution for youth unemployment or entrepreneurship.

President William Ruto gestures during a meeting with Kitui leaders at State House. PHOTO./https://www.facebook.com/williamsamoei

Govt failing the youth?

“It is a way of calling Kenyans and also soliciting money from the World Bank. They needed to do this through systems that already exist and have been tried and tested,” he argued.

Robert Mbui said the administration should have strengthened these platforms instead of launching new ones with flashy names.

He also linked the NYOTA programme to a broader pattern of what he described as failed policy rollouts, referencing the government’s troubled implementation of the Social Health Authority (SHA) and Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).

“When they started the SHIF programme, we told them to go slowly. Now even the president is complaining about people stealing through SHIF. It is the same cycle repeating itself,” he stated.

Mbui, who is a staunch ally of the former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, criticised the government for failing to innovate or build on past lessons.

“The idea of supporting youth to get into business is brilliant, but it is nothing new. What is missing is real delivery, not rebranding,” he said.