President William Ruto sparked laughter after cautioning beneficiaries of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme against being confused by love after receiving the grant.
Ruto, who presided over an event to launch the disbursement of the funds in Garissa, acknowledged the reality of the temptation that may come with the money landing in the hands of beneficiaries.
He stated that with the event being televised, some people following the proceedings are likely to pounce on the beneficiaries with sweet words and pet names in a display of love that could see them lose focus and channel the money to other uses.
“Lakini nimeambiwa ya kwamba hapa kuna runinga mnaangaliwa kutoka nyumbani kuna wale jamaa wanangojea nyinyi,” Ruto remarked.
This loosely translates to: “I am briefed that this event is being televised and there are those watching you from home and waiting”.
He predicted that beneficiaries of the funds could witness heightened signs of affection, with their names being dropped for affectionate terms.
“Wewe Amina utaskia sasa yule jamaa atakuita babe. Alikuwa anakuita Amina lakini kuanzia leo wewe ni babe. Mwambie tuliza boli mimi bad boli Amina,” Ruto added, sending the crowd into laughter.
This translates to: “If you are Amina, he could change your name to Babe from today. Tell them not to rush things and remind them that you are still Amina”.
Ruto outlines next steps for NYOTA beneficiaries
He cautioned beneficiaries not to be pushed to use the funds for anything other than the reason for which they have been provided.
The President outlined the plan in place to ensure that the beneficiaries are supported, detailing that they will not only receive more training, but will also go through mentorship with additional funds being made available to them in the future.
“Mimi nataka niulize kila kijana, leo unapata pesa ya kuanzisha biashara yako. Alafu tutarudi tukuongeze masomo alafu tukuongeze pesa ingina. Alafu turudi tena tukuongeze mentorship na tukuonyeshe how you are going to move forward,” Ruto added.
The president has been traversing the country in a series of events to disburse the funds and interact with beneficiaries.
