Editor's Review

Co-operatives CS Wycliffe Oparanya has dismissed Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotisi’s claims that the NYOTA project is a World Bank program.

Co-operatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya has dismissed Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotisi’s claims that the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) project is a World Bank program.

Speaking on Monday, March 16, in Budalangi, Busia County, CS Oparanya clarified that the NYOTA project is a Kenyan government initiative.

He explained that the government secured a loan from the World Bank to finance the project, and it will be repaid from taxpayers’ money.

“I heard another politician the other day saying that the NYOTA project is a World Bank program. I want to tell the citizens that this NYOTA project, which the President has introduced, belongs to the Government of Kenya.

“We took a loan from the World Bank, and it is Kenyans who will repay that loan,” said Oparanya,” Oparanya stated.

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File image of Senator Godfrey Osotsi

The Cooperatives CS’s response comes days after Senator Osotsi hit out at the government, saying senior officials are using the NYOTA project as a tool to gain political mileage

Speaking on Wednesday, March 11, Osostsi alleged that NTOTA is not a government initiative but a World Bank programme.

“They are no longer talking about the Hustler Fund nowadays. Instead, for convenience, they have jumped onto the NYOTA programme.

“They are moving around the country, saying they have brought NYOTA, which is a World Bank programme. Willian Ruto should tell us what he has done for the young people in this country,” the ODM Senator claimed.

The NYOTA project is an initiative aimed at addressing youth unemployment and promoting sustainable economic empowerment.

The project targets 820,000 vulnerable youth across all 47 counties, offering them a chance to gain employability skills, business support, and access to financial services.

The NYOTA initiative became effective on June 21, 2024, and is scheduled to run until December 31, 2028.

The project is implemented by the Micro and Small Enterprise Authority, Ministry of Youth Affairs, The Arts and Sports (MYAAS), and the National Social Security Fund.