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Renowned lawyer and Pan-Africanist Professor PLO Lumumba has stirred fresh debate after linking President William Ruto’s newly launched Nyota Fund to a World Bank-supported project, accusing the government of taking credit for foreign-funded initiatives.

Speaking on Spice FM on Monday, January 19, Lumumba questioned the origin and intent of the Nyota Fund, arguing that Kenyan political leaders have a long history of repackaging donor-funded programmes and presenting them as homegrown government achievements.

“What happened to the Hustler Fund? Why should someone take credit for a World Bank project, the Nyota Fund?” Lumumba posed, suggesting that the initiative is not entirely new but rather a continuation of externally financed programmes.

Lumumba also faulted President Ruto’s hands-on approach in launching the fund, arguing that the Head of State should focus on broader national responsibilities instead of personally fronting such programmes.

He questioned why the Nyota Fund was not delegated to relevant government agencies or officials to implement.

Further, the outspoken academic lawyer challenged the underlying assumption that providing young people with capital automatically translates into entrepreneurship. He dismissed the idea that giving youths Ksh 50,000 guarantees business success.

“Who told our politicians that every young man given Ksh 50,000 will engage in a business?” he asked, noting that entrepreneurship requires skills, mentorship, markets, and a supportive economic environment, not just access to funds.

Lumumba went on to accuse the State of using grants from foreign development partners as political tools, alleging that such programmes are being leveraged to build political capital ahead of the 2027 general election and President Ruto’s re-election bid.

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The lawyer also criticised the broader governance framework in the country, faulting what he described as wasteful spending in the education sector and the costly processes used in hiring State officials. According to him, these practices place an unnecessary burden on taxpayers while delivering limited value to the public.

His remarks have reignited public debate on transparency, political accountability, and the sustainability of youth empowerment programmes funded through external borrowing and grants.