Itumbi clashes with Catholic priest criticising govt in fiery sermon
By Charles Ouma, February 10, 2026Dennis Itumbi has clashed with a Catholic priest who delivered a fiery sermon criticising the government for wasting resources through initiatives that fail to impact the lives of citizens.
The viral clip of the sermon shows the preacher accusing the political elite of giving handouts of Ksh200 while looting money meant for development, including education, healthcare, roads and water.
“Unapatia mtu 200. Ukipatia mtu 200 umekula lami, umekula maji, umekula masomo ya wanafunzi, umekula dawa za hospitali. (You give someone Ksh200 but consume what is meant for tarmac, water, education, and healthcare),” The father says to the congregation in the undated clip.
He also noted that the much-hyped National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) fund is a loan from the World Bank that Kenyans will have to pay.
Itumbi responds
In a statement responding to the dressing down by the priest, Itumbi claimed that the cleric was not truthful in his remarks, in which he noted that the government splurges huge amounts of money to traverse the country to present help that
A statement posted by Itumbi on X on Monday, February 9, 2026, challenges the father to get his facts right before criticising the government.
“A Catholic priest standing at the pulpit should speak the truth and nothing but the truth. Criticise the government all you want, Father, but please get your facts right,” Itumbi wrote.
Itumbi agreed with the preacher that the money is actually a loan from the World Bank presented to the youth as a grant in a structured arrangement.
“Yes, it is a World Bank facility. However, for Kenyan youth, it is structured as a grant, not a loan. That “fictional youth” you referred to is, in fact, correct: no young person will be required to repay a single cent.
Ruto traversing the country to launch NYOTA funds disbursement
He added that prior to getting the funds, the beneficiaries were taken through a training, adding that the businesses established by the grant will also help in paying the grant.
“There was a training before the funds, and they were taught that the businesses they open will eventually be a source of taxes. For your information, father, those businesses will also be part of the Loan repayment,” Itumbi added.
His response was, however, silent on the preacher’s concern that the money was being distributed anyhow, yet every Kenyan, including those who never benefited from the same.
President William Ruto has been traversing the country, launching NYOTA funds disbursement programs across the country, with critics noting that in the era of modern technology and with the funds distributed via mobile money transfer, the huge amounts spent by the President and his entourage could be used to address other pressing needs.
Ruto has hailed the funds as a fulfilment of an election pledge, with critics noting that nothing much will come out of it and questioning if any tangiblebenefits came out of the Hustler fund that was hyped by Ruto at the start of his tenure.