The Hustler Fund has reached nearly 28 million Kenyans and disbursed close to Ksh94 billion since its launch, Principal Secretary for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Susan Mang’eni has said.
Speaking during an interview with a local station on Friday, September 11, 2026, Mang’eni said the government-backed financing programme has also mobilised nearly Ksh7 billion in savings, including mandatory and voluntary contributions, as it approaches its fourth anniversary in November 2026.
According to the PS, voluntary savings on the platform are nearing Ksh900 million, highlighting growing participation in the savings component of the fund.
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The Hustler Fund was launched in December 2022, shortly after President William Ruto assumed office, as part of his administration’s plan to expand access to affordable credit for small businesses and low-income Kenyans.
Mang’eni said the programme was rolled out within 100 days of the Kenya Kwanza administration taking office, in line with a campaign pledge by President Ruto.
But beyond providing loans, she said the government intended the fund to create a digital financial footprint that could help borrowers access larger loans from mainstream financial institutions.
The PS explained that every transaction made through the Hustler Fund contributes to a borrower’s digital credit history, which can eventually demonstrate their creditworthiness to banks and other lenders.
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The government hopes such records will help small traders and informal-sector workers secure financing without relying solely on traditional forms of collateral such as title deeds, property or payslips.
“The digital records which it leaves you with, that credit history, will reach a time when we turn that credit history into collateral,” Mang’eni said.
She said borrowers who consistently repay their Hustler Fund loans would have a digital trail showing their financial behaviour, which could strengthen their chances of obtaining bigger loans from mainstream financial institutions.
The programme, she added, was also designed to change perceptions around informal work under the administration’s “Hustle and Every Hustle Matters” philosophy.
Mang’eni said workers in the informal economy, including boda boda operators and small traders, play a critical role in keeping the economy running and should be accorded respect.
She noted that transport operators, for instance, support the movement of people and goods and facilitate business activities across the country.
“If one day they decide they are not working and park their bikes, the economy would feel the impact because they are an important engine of the economy,” she said.
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The remarks come as the Hustler Fund approaches four years since its establishment, with the government increasingly highlighting both its lending and savings components as part of efforts to widen financial inclusion.
The programme has provided loans to millions of Kenyans through digital platforms, targeting individuals, groups and small businesses that have traditionally faced challenges accessing credit from conventional financial institutions.
