Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya on Thursday seemed to be reading from a different script following a change of heart on threats he had earlier issued that the government will apprehend Hustler fund defaulters.
Speaking during an interview with a local TV station, Oparanya hinted that following reflections, the defaulters will not be listed on Credit Reference Bureaus (CRBs) even if they default on their loan payment obligations.
The CS said, the change was informed by a need to protect the livelihood of the defaulters saying that going after them would negatively impact them.
Oparanya stated the government will initiate talks with defaulters through the national administrative officers at the local levels. This he said, will highlight to the defaulters the fund's importance.
‘’You know, they are hustlers just as the president said and that’s why we want to talk to them in a polite way, then they will pay,’’ he stated.
‘’ If we make it tough for them, how will they eat or conduct their businesses? That’s why we even want to engage the Chiefs to talk to them,’’ Oparanya continued.
The move to have chiefs talk to the defaulters he revealed will be coordinated by the data at his Ministry which he revealed has a mapping of the geographic locations where the fund's beneficiaries are located.
Oparanya’s recent statements on the fund have been the subject of controversy.
He had on August 24, 2024 during the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSEA) Annual Conference revealed that the government would be going after defaulters to recover the loans.
“So those 19 million people, I am coming for you to make sure that you pay so that others can benefit and even yourselves can benefit,” Oparanya disclosed.
“We are coming up with a system that will now track you to know where you are, you will soon see someone knocking on your door telling you to pay back the Hustler Fund,” he added.
During his vetting before parliament as a nominee for the ministry, he acknowledged his previous opposition to the fund but admitted that he had not fully understood its details until appointment. He also revealed that the Hustler Fund was originally launched without adequate legal structures.
“I know I was among the people who were opposing the hustler fund and I had not known the facts about the hustler fund until now that I have been briefed. I think this fund, if well managed, is a fund that will take our people from poverty,” he explained.
