Speaking at the launch of Kenya’s 5th Open Government Partnership Action Plan in Nairobi, the President emphasized that the fund’s seamless and transparent operations are made possible by leveraging digital platforms.
“We rolled out the Hustler Fund with Sh12 billion already invested, benefiting 22 million Kenyans. Today, two million Kenyans borrow from it daily. This is all done through a technology platform,” Ruto said.
He argued that if the fund had been managed through traditional committees, it would have been vulnerable to inefficiencies and graft.
“Just imagine if we were giving out the Hustler Fund using committees in every location. It would be chaos,” he added, noting that technology has provided a corruption-proof mechanism for disbursing funds.
Ruto revealed that his administration has so far injected Sh12 billion into the project, with millions of Kenyans now using the fund to access small loans daily.
This, he said, is a testament to how technology can improve government service delivery by reducing human intervention and eliminating opportunities for corruption.
In addition to the Hustler Fund, the President cited the use of the Means Testing Instrument in the new university funding model as another example of how his government is using technology to address key challenges.
While the model has faced criticism from parents and students, university managements have endorsed it as effective.
Ruto acknowledged that while technology, including artificial intelligence, comes with its own set of challenges, it offers immense opportunities for improving governance and public services.