The World Bank Kenya has clarified that a news release circulating about its partnership with the government on the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme is fake.

The fake document, dated February 10, 2026, claimed that the World Bank expressed concerns over comments by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

It reaffirmed support for NYOTA, described it as a flagship government initiative backed by World Bank financing, and highlighted its goals: improving livelihoods for vulnerable youth through better employment access, income generation, and savings habits.

The document also praised the government’s commitment since the programme’s launch in July 2025. It listed past World Bank-supported youth projects, including the Kenya Youth Empowerment Project (KYEP), the Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project (KYEOP), Kazi Kwa Vijana (2009), and Kazi Mtaani (2020).

It urged stakeholders to avoid politicising job-creation efforts and ended with a signature from Qimiao Fan, Division Director for Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, and Uganda.

Responding to the circulating document, World Bank Kenya posted on X:

“The World Bank Kenya wishes to clarify that the News release currently circulating regarding an alleged response to concerns about the @NYOTA_Kenya program is fake. No statement of that nature has been issued by the World Bank Kenya.”

NYOTA Kenya’s official account also issued a warning:

“THIS DOCUMENT IS FAKE AND SHOULD BE DISREGARDED. THE WORLD BANK HAS NOT ISSUED ANY OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION OR STATEMENT IN RELATION TO THIS MATTER!”

Gachagua criticises NYOTA rollout

The clarification followed Gachagua’s press conference on February 10, 2026, where he criticised the government’s handling of drought in Northern Kenya and questioned NYOTA’s rollout.

He said the government allocated only Ksh4 billion to 23 arid counties – about Ksh173 million per county or Ksh1,200 per person for 3.3 million affected people – well below the UN minimum food basket of around Ksh2,700 per person in rural areas.

“The Office of the Deputy President has spent Ksh338 million on private jets, chartered planes, and helicopters while drought continues. The government does not take human life seriously,” Gachagua said.

He accused northern leaders of failing to account for over Ksh1 trillion since devolution in 2013 while staying comfortable in Nairobi. He framed the issue as a national concern:

“The people of Northern Kenya are Kenyans. Their children are Kenyan children. Any Kenyan oppressed or neglected today is a warning to us all.”

On NYOTA, Gachagua noted that President William Ruto plans to roll out the programme in Wajir, Mandera, and Garissa but said it should prioritise community support rather than political events.

“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,” he said.

NYOTA, a five-year, World Bank-funded programme, targets more than 820,000 vulnerable youth. It offers grants of up to Ksh50,000 for business start-ups or expansion, alongside training and savings promotion.

The programme builds on earlier youth initiatives but has faced scrutiny over politicisation, with critics, including Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, describing fund distributions as UDA rallies.