Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro has called on the government to consider topping up funds for the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) program to enable more unemployed youth to benefit.
Speaking during a church service at the Christian Foundation Fellowship in Mukuyu, Nyoro said that matching the amount provided by the World Bank would significantly expand the program’s reach.
“NYOTA has been funded by the World Bank, so if they are giving us five billion, the government can match the amount for wider reach,” he said.
The MP noted that additional funding could either help more youth join the program or allow existing beneficiaries to receive higher support to start larger businesses.
Nyoro further emphasized the need for sound financial management, noting that economic challenges require strategic, not political solutions.
“If you are building a house and you see cracks, you don’t call a painter; you call a structural engineer,” he remarked.
He urged leaders to focus on addressing the country’s financial issues, saying that political maneuvering alone cannot resolve underlying economic concerns.
Nyoro also expressed concern about the level of national debt, citing figures from the Central Bank of Kenya and government reports that indicate the country has borrowed about one trillion shillings in the past eight months.
“Kenya is currently borrowing between Sh3.5 billion and Sh4 billion every day, which translates to roughly Sh150 million every hour,” he said.
He observed that a significant portion of national revenue is directed toward debt repayment, with about 76 percent of recent collections going to service existing loans.
“In August, for example, the government collected about Sh157 billion in ordinary revenue, out of which Sh120 billion went toward repaying accrued interest,” he noted.
Nyoro urged prudent financial management to prevent Kenya from facing a potential debt crisis, while acknowledging the Treasury’s efforts to manage national debt through refinancing – taking new loans to repay older ones.
“We must ensure that our borrowing supports growth and development, just as past administrations used funds for transformative projects like the Thika Superhighway and rural electrification,” he added.
By Purity Mugo and Bernard Munyao
