CS Kariuki orders County Commissioner, Chiefs to track down loan defaulters

KILIFI, KENYA: Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki has decried high defaulting rate the youth fund in Kilifi County and directed County Commissioners and chiefs to recover the loans.

She said the nonpayment of the loans was undermining the government micro credit programmes aimed to uplift the living standards of youths in Kilifi County and other parts of the country.

"I have directed the county commissioner and chiefs to identify the groups that have not repaid the loans and make sure that they pay. In Kilifi the repayment rate is at 31 percent," she said.

She said re-payment of the women enterprise fund was at 51 percent which she said was also still very low compared to other counties where refund was over 80 or 90 percent.

"We cannot be able to reach more youths and women groups in need of the help to start business if those loaned fail to repay," said the CS on Wednesday in Kilifi County.

She directed county commissioners and chiefs to assist loan officers to identify the groups that have defaulted so that the government can recover the money to loan to other group.

Speaking at Kilifi's Kaloleni and Rabai constituencies where she launched the National Youth Service empowerment program the CS also called on politicians to stop politicizing the exercise.

Mrs. Kariuki said the government has rolled out the program in 130 constituencies and dismissed reports that the exercise is geared to lure voters for Jubilee.