NAIROBI, Kenya — The government has disbursed Sh87 billion through the Hustler Fund to 28 million accounts since its launch in 2022, as part of efforts to expand access to affordable credit and strengthen micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has said.
Presenting the 2026/27 Budget Statement in Parliament on Thursday, Mbadi said the government has deliberately prioritised affordable financing, market access and shared infrastructure to support entrepreneurs, particularly those at the base of the economy.
“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,” he said.
Mbadi said expanding access to affordable credit remains a central pillar of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, which seeks to empower small businesses and unlock economic opportunities for millions of Kenyans.
“To expand access to affordable credit, the government established the Hustler Fund in 2022,” he said.
He noted that the programme has grown into one of the country’s largest financial inclusion initiatives, enabling millions of citizens to access formal credit for the first time.
“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,” Mbadi said.
The Treasury CS said the initiative has helped previously excluded borrowers access regulated financial services, improving their ability to grow small businesses and stabilise household incomes.
He added that the government is complementing credit access with entrepreneurship training and youth empowerment programmes.
Mbadi cited the Nyota Programme as one of the flagship initiatives targeting young entrepreneurs across the country.
“Under the Nyota Programme, more than Sh5.6 billion has been invested in business skills training, mentorship and start-up capital,” he said.
According to Mbadi, the programme has reached at least 84 youths in each of Kenya’s 1,450 wards, equipping them with skills and resources to start and grow businesses.
He said these interventions reflect the government’s broader goal of building a resilient and inclusive economy by strengthening MSMEs, which remain a key source of employment and innovation.
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Mbadi delivered the budget under the theme: “Sustaining the Bottom-Up Transformation Agenda for Resilient and Inclusive Growth Amid Global Uncertainty.”
He said the theme reflects both global economic pressures and Kenya’s domestic priorities of protecting livelihoods and sustaining growth.
“The theme aligns with the current challenges and priorities of the government,” he said.
He added that MSME financing, financial inclusion and youth entrepreneurship will remain central to Kenya’s economic strategy as the government seeks to create jobs and stimulate enterprise growth amid global uncertainty.
