Na Gava Wanazima NYOTA!
Kenyans have a way of dreaming in acronyms. The latest dream is NYOTA – National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement. With such a name, you would expect a shining beacon of hope for our millions of jobless young people. And, to be fair, the idea itself is brilliant.
NYOTA promises Ksh 50,000 in startup capital to over 100,000 youth, plus mentorship, technical training, and a chance to build a savings culture through NSSF. For once, the numbers look meaningful. With that amount, one can stock a kiosk, buy tools for a trade, or even start a small farm. For many young people, this looks like the first real step toward empowerment, not just handouts.
But the execution? That’s another story.
From Hustler to Hustled
To understand the problem, you must go back to the Hustler Fund, launched in 2022 with a massive Ksh 50 billion allocation. It was pitched as a revolutionary loan scheme, giving ordinary Kenyans instant microloans through a USSD code. In practice, most young people borrowed Ksh 500–1,500.
Now, let’s be honest. What business can you start with Ksh 500? Most used it for transport to an interview, to clear a small bill, or to gamble in the hope of multiplying it. The result was predictable: debt without enterprise. Add to that billions in audit queries and questions about where the money really went, and the Hustler Fund quickly lost credibility.
NYOTA with Chains
Enter NYOTA, riding on World Bank funding of about Ksh 5 billion. Unlike Hustler, this looked serious: larger amounts, structured training, and mentorship. Over a million young Kenyans applied, and hope spread like wildfire.
Then the government quietly introduced a new condition: to qualify for NYOTA, applicants must first clear their Hustler Fund loans.
This rule was not there when applications opened. It was imposed after the fact, blindsiding thousands of youth who had already applied in good faith. Imagine the frustration—graduates burdened with HELB loans and unemployment, now told to first settle debts of Ksh 500 that never improved their lives before they can touch Ksh 50,000 that might.
Questions That Must Be Asked
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Why wasn’t the Hustler Fund requirement made clear from the very start?
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Why is a World Bank loan carrying the full weight of NYOTA, while the government contributes little of its own or taxpayer resources?
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If youth will eventually repay this loan through taxes, why can’t the government at least match the World Bank funding shilling for shilling to double the impact?
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Most importantly, who is making these last-minute decisions—and how safe are the beneficiary lists from political manipulation?
The Dimmed Star
NYOTA began as a promising star for the youth of Kenya. But by tethering it to a flawed scheme like the Hustler Fund and by shifting rules halfway, government risks dimming its shine.
The youth wanted a chance to build. What they are getting instead feels like a recycled debt trap dressed as opportunity. Na kweli, gava wanazima NYOTA.
But here is the truth: young people are watching. We applied. We qualified. We waited. And we have learned from experience—if this star goes dark, it will not be because the youth failed to shine. It will be because someone switched off the light.
✨ A star should light the path forward, not remind us of past failures. The question is whether NYOTA will be the beacon it promised—or just another blackout in Kenya’s history of youth programs.
About Author: Kevin Makova
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