The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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President William Ruto has hit out at Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro for criticizing his administration’s flagship programmes — the Affordable Housing Project and the Nyota Youth Programme — saying those opposing them have no viable alternatives and are engaging in “empty rhetoric.”
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Speaking on Sunday during the launch of Phase One of the Infrastructure and Smart City facilities at Konza Technopolis, President Ruto defended the two initiatives, describing them as central to his government’s economic transformation plan.
“If you are a leader with a better plan, show us. Don’t just say your plan is to stop affordable housing,” Ruto said, dismissing Nyoro’s remarks as unhelpful and baseless.
Nyoro, a former ally of the President and once the Chair of Parliament’s Budget and Appropriations Committee, has recently criticized the government for what he terms misplaced priorities and excessive borrowing. He has also questioned the sustainability of the administration’s fiscal policies.
In particular, Nyoro has challenged the funding model of the Nyota Youth Programme, a World Bank-supported initiative aimed at empowering vulnerable youth through vocational training, entrepreneurship, and financial support.
“The Nyota funds are from the World Bank. If the World Bank provides KSh5 billion, the Government of Kenya should also match it with KSh5 billion,” Nyoro said in a recent public statement.
However, President Ruto rejected that argument, insisting that once a loan is acquired, it becomes part of Kenya’s national resources.
“We agreed with the World Bank and they gave us a loan. Some people are asking which World Bank project this is. When the bank gives you a loan, does it still belong to the bank or to you?” he posed.
Ruto accused his critics of lacking vision and ambition, warning that such short-sighted arguments could derail the country’s progress.
“The young people of Kenya are tired of mediocrity and small thinking. They want us to be bold and think big,” he added.
