Hundreds of Youths Receive New Boda Bodas from President Ruto at State House
A fresh group of young Kenyans has benefited from President William Ruto’s ongoing youth empowerment initiative after receiving brand-new motorcycles under the Boda Boda Empowerment Programme.
According to a statement from State House Director of Public Communication, Gerald Bitok, the President personally handed over the motorcycles on Wednesday, August 13.
A video obtained by Newshub.co.ke shows hundreds of excited youths riding out of State House, cheering, singing, and expressing gratitude to the Head of State for supporting their daily hustle.
“Another batch of Boda Boda Empowerment Programme units courtesy of President William Ruto leaves State House, Nairobi,” Bitok’s statement partly read.
This latest distribution came just three days after President Ruto hosted more than 15,000 young people at State House on Friday, August 9, where he gave out various business tools alongside boda bodas.
During that event, the President distributed equipment such as motorcycles, car-wash machines, salon and barber kits, and sewing machines, all aimed at helping young entrepreneurs grow their businesses and create income opportunities.
However, the programme has drawn mixed reactions from leaders, with some praising the initiative while others criticise its long-term impact. Former Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi is among those who have openly opposed the approach, claiming it does little to address Kenya’s deep-rooted unemployment crisis.
Muturi argued that giving out boda bodas and small-scale business tools may appear like empowerment, but it ultimately locks the youth into low-income activities rather than helping them secure sustainable, well-paying jobs.
“Instead of addressing the structural unemployment problem, the UDA government’s so-called solution is to hand out boda bodas and call it empowerment.
That’s not genuine job creation—it’s trapping our youth in a poverty cycle and then asking them to applaud for it. It’s like giving someone a spoon and asking them to dig a dam,” Muturi remarked.
He further accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of engaging in tokenism, saying real economic empowerment involves serious investment in innovation hubs, technology funding, manufacturing skills, and green energy job creation.
“Kenya’s current youth policy can be summarised as: Here’s a wheelbarrow, now go make us proud. This is more of a performance than real policy-making,” he added.
Despite such criticism, President Ruto has remained firm in his stance, insisting that the empowerment programmes will continue as part of his broader agenda to uplift young people and provide them with tools to create their own livelihoods.
He has repeatedly stated that his focus is on supporting hustlers across the country, and that every small step towards economic empowerment counts.
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