President William Ruto has come out guns blazing to defend his administration’s youth empowerment program, dismissing critics of the NYOTA fund as "naysayers" who are out of touch with the reality of the struggling Kenyan youth.

Speaking at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, during the launch of the fund, the President oversaw the disbursement of Ksh 258.4 million to over 10,000 beneficiaries. He took direct aim at opposition figures and skeptics who have labeled the Ksh 22,000 to Ksh 50,000 grants as insignificant or a "political scam."

"Small Money, Big Impact"

"If you think Ksh 50,000 is little money, it is because you are rich and disconnected," Ruto told the cheering crowd. "To a young person in Kawangware or Kiambu who has a business idea but no capital, this money is the difference between poverty and dignity. Do not despise humble beginnings."

• The Numbers: 10,337 youth from Nairobi, Kiambu, and Kajiado received grants. Each beneficiary gets Ksh 22,000 directly for business and Ksh 3,000 into their NSSF Haba Haba savings.
• The Scope: The NYOTA project aims to support youth entrepreneurs with start-up capital, mentorship, and business training.
• The Strategy: Ruto framed the fund as a bottom-up intervention designed to bypass bureaucratic red tape and put money directly into the pockets of the "hustlers."

Silencing the Doubters

The President cited Zechariah 4:10 from the Bible, urging the youth not to let anyone belittle their start. He argued that previous administrations had spent billions on seminars and workshops with nothing to show for it, whereas NYOTA is delivering hard cash to the people who need it most.

"These young people are not a scam. Their dreams are not a scam," Ruto declared. As the funds hit the mobile wallets of the beneficiaries, the political battle lines over youth empowerment have been redrawn, with the President banking on these micro-investments to yield macro-political returns in 2027.