100 Youths in Turkana Miss NYOTA Fund, Cite Cartel Involvement

Over 100 youths in Turkana County have raised alarm after failing to receive promised funds from the government's National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) business support programme despite completing registration.

The group, whichregistered in Eldoret City, alleged the system had been compromised by cartels within the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector.

Most of the registered youths have been unable to access the stipend through their mobile phones as initially promised by President William Ruto during the programme launch.

Frustrated beneficiaries contactedofficials in Nairobi overseeing the NYOTAprogramme and were directed to visit the government offices in Lodwar to file their complaints.

The youths arrived at the Lodwar government offices early in the morning, only to find no personnel available to address their grievances about the missing funds.

"We came very early in the morning, and the personnel are nowhere to be seen," one frustrated youth said while speaking to journalists outside the offices.

They are now demanding that programme officials come clean and provide a clear roadmap for accessing the funds they were promised under the initiative.

"It seems like the system has already been tampered with by cartels in the MSMEs, who manipulate procurement tenders and inflate prices to eliminate honest competition, “another beneficiary claimed, expressing concerns about transparency in fund disbursement.

The complaints come as President Ruto was unveiling Phase 2 of the NYOTA project at Archers Post in Samburu County earlier today, interacting with beneficiaries on Tuesday, January 13, 2026.

Phase 2 commenced on January 8, 2026, targeting beneficiaries across 27 counties, including Turkana, Uasin Gishu, Nakuru, Nairobi, Kiambu, and Samburu, among others.

The phase is scheduled to run until January 16, 2026, with the government promising to communicate dates for Phase 3 covering the remaining 16 counties.

The NYOTA project was officially launched on November 7, 2025, with the first tranche disbursed on December 7, 2025, at Mumias Sports Complex in Kakamega County.

Each youth is set to receive a total ofKsh50,000 as a business grant, disbursed in tranches, with an initial payment of Ksh25,000 after training, followed by a second disbursement to reach the Ksh50,000 total, to help start or expand businesses.

The government is yet to the allegations of cartel involvement or address the complaints from the Turkana youth regarding access issues at the time of the publication of this story.