NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 16 – The World Bank says it is deploying blockchain technology to ensure that funds under the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Project reach intended youth beneficiaries, in a move aimed at reinforcing transparency and accountability.
In a November 13, 2025 letter to High Court advocate Francis Wanjiku, the Bank said it has instituted strict oversight systems designed to track every shilling from disbursement to end user.
“We appreciate your observations on the need to ensure strong governance, transparency, and accountability in project implementation,” the Bank said in the letter.
“We have instituted measures to maintain enhanced monitoring and accountability.”
Launched in June 2023 with both credit and grant financing from the World Bank, NYOTA targets youth across all 1,450 wards, addressing high unemployment, low-quality jobs, and limited access to social protection. The project offers business support, skills training and employment opportunities, particularly for youth with limited formal education.
According to the Bank, the blockchain framework strengthens oversight by creating an immutable trail of transactions, reducing the risk of mismanagement or political interference.
The project also includes a grievance redress system that enables citizens to report fraud, coercion or other irregularities — including anonymous submissions through the Integrity Complaint Form or Grievance Redress Service.
Despite concerns raised by lawmakers and civil society about potential favoritism, the World Bank maintains that procedures remain transparent and verifiable, pointing to the publicly available NYOTA Project Appraisal Document.
