Written By Lisa Murimi
Cooperatives and MSMEs Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui announced on Tuesday that Kenyans can now access Hustler Fund services through the eCitizen platform.
This integration aims to streamline service delivery and enhance recovery measures for the fund, addressing some challenges related to loan recovery.
“That is why we are joining eCitizen. Here we will be looking at government services as one, and through this, we will also improve access and efficiency and partly address the issue of recovery,” said CS Chelugui during an interview on Citizen TV.
Chelugui highlighted the government’s modest yet effective recovery actions compared to other digital lenders, noting the focus on collateral issues and rehabilitating borrowers previously blacklisted.
“We have been able to rehabilitate approximately 8 million of them through the Hustler Fund,” he stated.
The Hustler Fund has brought 22 million Kenyans into the financial system, many of whom previously lacked accounts or financial relationships with lenders.
“We have 22 million on board because of the relaxed eligibility requirements and the recovery measures. That does not mean we are not keen on recovering the money; these are taxpayers’ money,” explained Chelugui.
The integration of Hustler Fund services with eCitizen marks a step towards a more inclusive and efficient financial ecosystem in Kenya.
This move comes months after President William Ruto endorsed the eCitizen platform, which had already been offering a variety of services, as the official government site for accessing all government services.
ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo praised the digitization efforts, stating that the Kenya Kwanza Government had surpassed its target by delivering 5,084 fully digitalized government services, exceeding the initial goal of 5,000 by June 30, 2023.
