Kenyan President William Ruto announced an ambitious initiative to tackle Kenya's youth unemployment issue earlier this week.

The program, dubbed the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA), which aims to target over 800,000 young Kenyans, has sparked skepticism among Generation Z — the term generally used to describe people born during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Many Gen Zers in Kenya question the feasibility of tackling youth unemployment amid budget constraints and a track record of unfulfilled pledges.

According to the Kenyan leader, the NYOTA project is a 20 billion Kenyan shillings ($154.8 million, €135.5 million) partnership with the World Bank aimed at supporting young Kenyans between 18 and 29 — and up to 35 for people with disabilities.

"In recognition of the immense potential of our young people, their critical role in the economy, and their capacity for creativity and innovation, the Government of Kenya has partnered with the World Bank to roll out the 20 billion National Youth Opportunity towards Advancement Project," said Ruto, noting that the initial 100,000 jobs will start as soon as next week.

"We have committed 5 billion Kenyan shillings in grants to support 100,000 young people. We are not just offering a paycheck for today, we are providing financial relief and a bridge to future opportunities," Ruto added.

But even as the president framed the plan as a generational investment, many young Kenyans dismissed it as political posturing.

'We don't trust him anymore'

Young Kenyans are often seen as tech-savvy "keyboard warriors" who have increasingly asserted themselves as a politically conscious group pushing for transparency, accountability and good governance.

Risper Waithera, a university student in Nairobi, described the plan as unrealistic.

"According to the current budget constraints that the government is undergoing, I don't think it's actually realistic to think that he can employ 800,000 youths in Kenya right now," she told DW.

Last year, Gen Z protesters demanded better governance from Ruto, who dismissed nearly his entire cabinet in response to the demonstrations.

For Lucy Njeri, the issue is one of broken trust. "The degree [to which] Gen Z trusts whatever the president is saying is very low. That is because he has promised a lot in the past, and there's been little to zero implementation of the promises before," she said.

Expert doubts funding and sustainability

The plan's financial foundation has also come under scrutiny.

Alexander Riithi, head of programs at the Institute for Social Accountability, warned that the budget lacks clarity and fails to outline how the funds will be managed or distributed.

"Given the many promises the president has issued in the past, people are a bit skeptical... We have not seen any allocation in the budget for this particular program," he told DW.

"If you look at even the pay that is suggested, 500 shillings a day for the workers and 580 shillings for supervisors, this is even lower than what people in the construction industry get," he said.

Riithi also highlighted what he called a contradiction in the president's approach.

"This is the same thing that the president used against the Kazi Mtaani program of former President Uhuru Kenyatta. He said you cannot have educated people going to slash grass."

Kazi Mtaani was a public works program launched by Ruto's predecessor to provide short-term employment to young people through tasks such as street cleaning, garbage collection and landscaping.

Patricia Rodrigues, associate director at Control Risks, an international political risk consultancy, told DW that the skepticism around the plan is rooted in Ruto's strained relationship with young voters.

"The president has not had the best track record or reputation with young people in Kenya. While he came to power promising a lot of things, some of those promises have not been necessarily met," she said.

"These programs cost money, and the Kenyan government does not necessarily have the finances available to do everything that it had intended."

Gen Z: From street protests to disillusionment

The NYOTA project comes months after a wave of youth-led demonstrations mobilized by mainly Gen Zers compelled the government to respond to growing public discontent over proposed tax increases, rising unemployment and allegations of police brutality.

The protests — which were largely organized through social media platforms — drew thousands to the streets and forced several policy reversals, including the withdrawal of controversial finance bill provisions.

Daniel Kimani, another young Kenyan who spoke to DW, expressed doubt about the government's ability to deliver on its pledge.

"The promises that were given about employing 800,000 youths, I don't think that's possible with our government. Over the past years, we've already seen that no one has been employed," he said.

Ruto's strained relationship with young voters

"The government only listens to us when we go to the streets. But not unless we do that, they can't listen to us, and that's not going in the right direction."

Lillies Aoko, a freelance content creator who has been actively engaging in online advocacy around youth issues, echoed that sentiment, saying that many young people feel ignored — despite repeatedly voicing their frustrations through social media and peaceful protests.

"Do you think they are listening to our concerns? They are not. We've cried [out about] most of the things. But the government is not listening at all," she told DW.

Global image, domestic tension

While the World Bank-backed project adds credibility on paper, critics say it does little to resolve the trust deficit between the government and Kenya's digitally mobilized youth.

Rodrigues warned that "when you unveil a new program, this naturally does come with a lot of skepticism about whether or not it will actually make a tangible difference in the lives of especially unemployed young people."

For Ruto, the initiative may be an attempt to reconnect with the demographic that was pivotal in challenging his administration's policies online and on the streets.

With the 2027 general election on the horizon, appealing to young voters who make up the majority of Kenya's population could be a strategic move to rebuild trust and regain political ground.

Edited by: Keith Walker