Ruto to Nyota critics: Take your advice elsewhere

President William Ruto has taken a firm stand against critics who suggest he delegate youth matters, saying the empowerment of young Kenyans is too important to hand over to others.

Ruto made it clear that contrary to calls from some quarters, he would personally continue overseeing the NYOTA programme.

He argued that the challenges facing young Kenyans are too significant to be left to others, emphasising that the initiative was carefully designed under his direct supervision to ensure it delivers real impact.

“There are people telling me I should delegate matters of young people. I want to tell them to take their advice to somebody else,” Ruto said.

He was speaking on Wednesday at Garissa High School during the disbursement of Sh63 million in start-up capital to 2,520 youth from 30 wards.

“Matters of the young people of Kenya deserve my personal attention, and this NYOTA programme is a programme that I designed myself,” he stated.

He criticised previous youth programmes, saying they were poorly designed and had minimal impact.

“That is why I took time, and the Cabinet took time, to design this programme so that it is corruption-free, transparent, and accountable. It is not about connections, not about patronage. Every Kenyan gets an equal opportunity, regardless of political affiliation, community, religion, or financial background,” he said.

Ruto did not hold back when addressing those who doubted his focus.

“I have heard people try to lecture me, saying I should do other work. You do that other work. I have come to do the work of these young people. And the person who tries to tell me to do other work is idle, they have no right to give me a lecture,” he said, in remarks that drew laughter and applause from the audience.

The disbursement is part of the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, which seeks to provide young Kenyans at the grassroots level with equal access to economic opportunities.

Each beneficiary received Sh25,000 in the first phase of the programme. Of this, Sh22,000 was credited to the beneficiary’s Pochi la Biashara mobile wallet, while Sh3,000 was invested in a Haba na Haba Savings Account managed by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) to promote a culture of savings and long-term financial security.

In the second phase, each youth will receive an additional Sh25,000, bringing the total start-up capital to Sh50,000 per beneficiary.

Ruto said the NYOTA programme is designed to stimulate youth entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and job creation, ensuring that no young Kenyan is left behind.

“It is because matters of young people, their empowerment, and their future are of such importance to me that I personally come to oversee this programme,” he said.

County leaders and local officials described the programme as a transformative step in supporting grassroots youth businesses and boosting economic participation.

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale are among the leaders who accompanied the President.

With the direct engagement, Ruto has sent a clear message that the government’s economic agenda will prioritise young people, leaving no room for idle advice from critics.