Since its rollout in 2022, the Hustler Fund has channelled Sh87 billion into millions of small-scale borrowers across the country, with the government saying the initiative is steadily reshaping how affordable credit reaches entrepreneurs at the grassroots level.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi told Parliament on Thursday during the 2026/27 Budget Statement that the programme has become a key tool in advancing financial inclusion, especially for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and young people running informal businesses.
He said the government has intentionally structured its economic strategy to place low-cost credit, market access and shared business infrastructure directly in the hands of small traders and upcoming entrepreneurs.
“To support MSMEs, the government has moved deliberately to put affordable credit, markets and shared infrastructure directly into enterprises and into the hands of young people at the base of the economy,” Mbadi said.
He added that expanding access to affordable financing remains a core pillar of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, which is aimed at strengthening small businesses and widening economic participation.
“To expand access to affordable credit, the government established the Hustler Fund in 2022,” he said.
Mbadi said the fund has grown into one of the largest financial inclusion interventions in the country, reaching millions of Kenyans who were previously locked out of formal lending systems.
“Since then, the fund has disbursed Sh87 billion to 28 million accounts and given 4.5 million previously blacklisted Kenyans a formal credit history for the first time,” he said.
He noted that this shift has enabled many borrowers to begin building credit records, allowing them to access regulated financial services and expand their businesses over time.
Alongside the credit programme, the government is also pushing entrepreneurship training and youth empowerment projects to strengthen business growth at the community level.
A key initiative highlighted is the Nyota Programme, which focuses on skills development, mentorship, and start-up support for young entrepreneurs.
“Under the Nyota Programme, more than Sh5.6 billion has been invested in business skills training, mentorship and start-up capital,” Mbadi said.
According to the programme rollout, at least 84 youths in each of Kenya’s 1,450 wards have benefited, receiving training and resources to help them start and sustain businesses.
Mbadi said these efforts are aimed at building a stronger base for job creation and economic resilience by supporting MSMEs, which remain central to Kenya’s economic structure.
He delivered the budget under the theme “Sustaining the Bottom-Up Transformation Agenda for Resilient and Inclusive Growth Amid Global Uncertainty.”
“The theme aligns with the current challenges and priorities of the government,” Mbadi said.
He added that continued investment in small enterprises and youth-led businesses will remain a priority as the government seeks to expand jobs and improve livelihoods across the country.