Unrest has erupted in Kisii County after hundreds of youths enrolled in the government-backed National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) project staged protests over delayed and reduced payments.
The youths, undergoing training in Nyaribari Chache constituency, are reported to have spent the night at a local primary school following a standoff with programme officials.
Tensions escalate after participants claim they are paid Ksh300 instead of the Ksh1,000 daily stipend they had been promised.
According to reports, the protest begins at around 8 pm and continues until nearly midnight, with frustrated youths demanding answers from coordinators overseeing the training.
Some participants accuse officials of poor communication and lack of transparency since the programme began.
“There has been an issue of communication since this programme started. They have never told us when we will receive the money. When we asked them, they said the payment system had issues,” says one of the aggrieved youths.
He adds, “Today they came here to give us Ksh300 instead of Ksh1,000 per day. What is Ksh300 paid after three days of training?”
While gathered at the school, the youths vow to continue protesting until their concerns are addressed.
NYOTA is a five-year government initiative funded by the World Bank, targeting over 101,000 vulnerable and unemployed youth aged between 18 and 29 across all 47 counties.
Many participants join the programme with expectations of receiving up to Ksh50,000 in payouts upon completing training and related activities.
The unrest comes just a day after the government announces the rollout of the second phase of the programme, following the completion of the first phase in February.
However, concerns are emerging in different parts of the country over delays in disbursing funds tied to the Ksh28 billion initiative, raising questions about its implementation.