The World Bank has dismissed a statement circulating online purporting to reaffirm the bank’s parentship with the government on the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme.
In an update on Wednesday, February 11, the World Bank flagged the statement as fake.
The global financial institution explained that no such statement has been issued.
“The World Bank Kenya wishes to clarify that the news release currently circulating regarding an alleged response to concerns about the NYOTA program is fake. No statement of that nature has been issued by the World Bank Kenya,” read the statement in part.
NYOTA has also dismissed the statement, saying it did not originate from the World Bank.
NYOTA urged members of the public to disregard the fake statement, which is circulating widely on social media
“This document is fake and should be disregarded. The World Bank has not issued any official communication or statement in relation to this matter,” NYOTA stated.
The clarification comes after former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua hit out at President William Ruto for politicizing the NYOTA project.
“The NYOTA program is a World Bank program happening in other African countries like Angola, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Benin, Togo, yet we have not seen their presidents turn this into re-election campaign rallies across their countries,” said Gachagua.
The NYOTA project is an initiative aimed at addressing youth unemployment and promoting sustainable economic empowerment.
The project was approved by the World Bank Board on June 15, 2023, and formally assented to as a loan to the Republic of Kenya, with a total project cost of USD 200 million and a commitment amount of USD 229 million.
It became effective on June 21, 2024, and is scheduled to run until December 31, 2028.
NYOTA 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 project is implemented by the Micro and Small Enterprise Authority, Ministry of Youth Affairs, The Arts and Sports (MYAAS), National Social Security Fund.
