Cooperatives and MSMEs Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui on Tuesday announced that Kenyans will now be able to access Hustler Fund services through the eCitizen platform.
This integration is expected to streamline service delivery and improve recovery measures for the fund.
The integration with eCitizen is expected to not only improve access but also address some of the 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 we might address the issue of recovery," said CS Chelugui.
Speaking during an interview at Citizen TV, CS Chelugui highlighted the modest yet effective recovery actions taken by the government compared to other digital lenders.
"Our recovery measures and actions are modest relative to what other digital lenders are doing. We are also dealing with issues of collateral; the majority of those digital borrowers had been blacklisted two years ago. We have been able to rehabilitate approximately 8 million of them through the Hustler Fund," he stated.
He emphasized the broader impact of these efforts, noting that, "Other than just sustaining the fund; we are responsible for bringing these 8 million Kenyans on board. Imagine an economy where 8 million of us are closed out."
CS Chelugui further revealed that the Hustler Fund has brought 22 million Kenyans into the financial system, many of whom never had accounts or any financial relationship with lenders before.
"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," he explained.
According to Chelugui, the move to integrate Hustler Fund services with eCitizen marks a step towards a more inclusive and efficient financial ecosystem in Kenya, promising to enhance service delivery and support the economic empowerment of millions of Kenyans.
The move comes months after President William Ruto endorsed the E-Citizen platform which had been offering a variety of services to become the official government site where Kenyans can continue to access all government services.
ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo stated the move to digitize Government services spearheaded by his ministry was a step in the right direction.
Owalo explained that the move was one of the foremost major achievements of the Kenya Kwanza Government.
"We promised to digitalize 5,000 Government services by June 30, 2023. We have exceeded the target by delivering 5, 084 fully-digitalised government services," Owalo stated.
