A fresh scandal is brewing within the World Bank–funded NYOTA Project, exposing troubling questions about accountability, political influence, and selective payments. While trainers in several regions have already been paid for work completed under the flagship youth empowerment programme, their counterparts in Nairobi remain unpaid weeks later.
The silence from implementing firms, combined with claims of links to powerful political figures, has deepened suspicion. With the festive season closing in, dozens of professionals who delivered training in good faith are now trapped in financial distress, wondering where the money went.
NYOTA Project Payment Mystery Raises Political and Ethical Questions
The NYOTA PROJECT is a high-profile government programme implemented through the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, funded by the World Bank and marketed as a lifeline for youth entrepreneurship and skills development. Under the programme, trainers were contracted through third-party firms to deliver business development skills training across counties.
In Nairobi County, trainers completed their assignments, submitted attendance registers, evaluation forms, and final reports within the agreed timelines. According to multiple trainers interviewed, confirmation was issued that funds had already been released for the trainings. Yet more than two weeks later, no payments have been made.
What has intensified anger is the emerging claim that the implementing firms involved are politically connected, with alleged links to former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria. Trainers say this raises serious concerns about whether political proximity has emboldened firms to ignore contractual obligations without fear of consequences.
Emails, calls, and follow-ups from Nairobi-based trainers have reportedly been met with vague responses, shifting timelines, or total silence. Meanwhile, trainers in other regions under the same NYOTA PROJECT have already received full payment, creating a glaring contradiction that demands explanation.
Nairobi Trainers Say Contracts Were Clear and Obligations Met
Documents reviewed show that the contract was between Centre for Strategy Management in joint venture with Execuget Consult Limited, referred to as the implementing partner, and individual trainers contracted to deliver services on behalf of the NYOTA PROJECT.
One Nairobi trainer, Eric Morebu, says all contractual conditions were fulfilled. Trainings were conducted, reports submitted, and confirmations issued. “We were assured payment would be immediate after submission and verification. That never happened,” he said.
Trainers insist there were no compliance issues raised, no queries on documentation, and no formal notices explaining the delay. Under standard donor-funded project procedures, such silence is not only irregular but unacceptable.
For many trainers, this work was not supplementary income but their primary livelihood. Transport, accommodation, meals, and materials were self-financed in anticipation of timely payment. The failure to honor contracts has now pushed some into debt.
Selective Disbursement Deepens Suspicion
The most damaging aspect of the unfolding scandal is evidence that payments were made in other regions while Nairobi trainers were left out. Trainers argue that this rules out claims of delayed donor disbursement or system-wide financial bottlenecks.
“If money was paid elsewhere, why not Nairobi?” one trainer asked. “We are part of the same NYOTA PROJECT, funded by the same World Bank facility.”
This selective disbursement has fueled suspicions of internal manipulation, favoritism, or deliberate withholding of funds. The alleged political links of the implementing firms have only amplified these concerns, with trainers questioning whether oversight agencies are reluctant to intervene.
The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has so far not publicly addressed the Nairobi payment delays, despite being the principal government body responsible for the programme.
Festive Season Pressure Exposes Human Cost
The timing of the delay has worsened the impact. With the festive season approaching, trainers say they are unable to meet basic obligations, including rent, school fees, and family responsibilities. For a programme publicly framed around economic empowerment, the irony is stark.
Beyond personal hardship, the scandal threatens to damage trust in donor-funded government initiatives. Trainers warn that continued silence and non-payment risk discouraging qualified professionals from participating in future public programmes.
They are now calling on the World Bank, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, and Parliament to investigate the handling of funds under the NYOTA PROJECT, particularly the role of politically linked implementing firms.
Unless urgent action is taken, what was designed to uplift young entrepreneurs may instead stand as another case study of how power, politics, and impunity undermine public trust and punish ordinary Kenyans who simply did their jobs.
