Ministry slams KHRC over Hustler Fund report, terms it politically biased

MSMEs PS Susan Mang’eni criticised KHRC for failing to understand the purpose and scope of the Hustler Fund. [File, Standard]

The Ministry of Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development has dismissed a recent report by the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), which criticised the performance of the Hustler Fund, calling it “biased, unprofessional, and politically motivated.”

Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya and Principal Secretary Susan Mang’eni said KHRC's report, titled Failing the Hustlers, was deliberately skewed and failed to reflect the current status of the fund.

Oparanya questioned the report’s methodology, noting it focused solely on the fund’s performance during its infancy between November and December 2022.

“The fund was just weeks old. Drawing conclusions from one month’s data is misleading,” he said.

He added that neither the ministry nor the Hustler Fund administrators were consulted during the report’s development. “If the commission were genuine in their findings, they would have engaged us and sought clarification,” said Oparanya, accusing KHRC of weaponising the Auditor General’s 2022–2023 audit for political ends.

Mang’eni echoed his sentiments, criticising the commission for failing to understand the purpose and scope of the fund, which she said has now expanded significantly. “Over 26 million Kenyans have accessed the Hustler Fund, and more than 9 million are active borrowers. This is not a failed fund,” she said.

According to ministry data, the fund has disbursed Sh72 billion since inception, with Sh60 billion repaid. It currently disburses an average of Sh68 million daily in personal loans. The fund also includes a savings component and has helped an estimated 1 million Kenyans improve their credit ratings and exit CRB listings.

The ministry also defended the fund’s digital structure, stating that it ensures accessibility and transparency. “To say it lacks visibility because it's digital is to ignore the reality of mobile financial platforms in Kenya,” Oparanya said.

While acknowledging early challenges, the ministry said these are common in new government programs and urged KHRC to avoid politicising national development tools. “This initiative is transforming lives,” Mang’eni said, “and it deserves constructive criticism, not targeted attacks.”