Ruto: Hustler Fund Has Benefited 7 Million Kenyans, but Loans Alone Cannot Deliver Transformation
He explained that it is for this reason that the government moved to introduce the Nyota programme, a national youth empowerment initiative designed to complement the Hustler Fund.
President William Ruto gives the State of the Nation Address in Parliament on November 20, 2025. Photo/Courtesy
By Ruth Sang
President William Ruto has defended the performance and impact of the Hustler Fund, insisting that the initiative has become a major financial support system for millions of Kenyans who were previously excluded from the formal credit market.
Speaking during the State of the Nation Address to a joint sitting of Parliament, the President said the fund has so far disbursed over Ksh80 billion to reach groups that traditional lenders had long locked out.
According to Ruto, the Hustler Fund has provided credit to more than seven million Kenyans, a majority of whom were negative-listed by various credit reference bureaus before accessing the government-backed facility. He said the digital lending platform has helped restore the creditworthiness of many borrowers and reopened doors for almost three million small ventures that had no access to loans elsewhere.
He added that the fund has significantly widened the scope of opportunities for young entrepreneurs.
“Today, 800,000 entrepreneurs have access to more than Ksh150,000 without the need for collateral,” he said,
noting that such broad and unsecured access to capital had never been witnessed at this scale.
Even as he highlighted these successes, the President conceded that access to credit alone cannot ensure sustainable socio-economic transformation. He explained that it is for this reason that the government moved to introduce the Nyota programme, a national youth empowerment initiative designed to complement the Hustler Fund.
Ruto added that Nyota was among the most ambitious programs his administration had ever undertook, purposed not only for financing but equipping the youth with practical skills, mentorship, hands-on training, and entry points into various industries.
“Credit alone is not enough,” he told lawmakers. “Nyota is built to equip the youth with real skills and real opportunities-because lasting empowerment must go beyond borrowing.”
Earlier in his address, the President reflected on Kenya’s 62-year journey as an independent nation, saying that although the country has made “notable strides” over the last three years, he believed Kenya was still performing below its full potential.
Ruto called on the country to break away from what he termed a long-entrenched culture of “small thinking and ordinary expectations.” He argued that the nation must embrace ambition and boldness if it hopes to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global economy.
“We have travelled a difficult road as a nation,” he said. “Our struggles and triumphs have shaped us, but they must also push us toward becoming greater.”
He called for a new national mindset, where citizens and leaders alike must shun mediocrity and strive for the highest standards in every field.
“We must abandon the comfort of the familiar,” he said. “Only through courage and clarity can we reach for excellence and greatness.”
About Author
