By Eunice Omollo,
NAIROBI, Kenya – President William Ruto on Thursday unveiled yet another ambitious social initiative fund targeting 600,000 single mothers and women across the country.
The empowerment programme, the latest in a long line of government-backed funds launched since 2022 under his bottom-up economic transformation agenda, aims to cushion single mothers and vulnerable women from poverty while providing seed capital for small businesses.
“Women, you know, have your chance. We want single mothers and all women to come. We are looking for 600,000 of them to come for training so that we can train them, either via the national or county government, on how to conduct businesses and empower themselves,” said President Ruto in Thome village, Laikipia County, during the funeral service for Mzee Weston Kirocho, father of Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja.
While the promise resonates deeply in a country grappling with unemployment and a high cost of living, it has reignited debate about the proliferation of state funds from the Hustler Fund to the Women Enterprise Fund, Youth Fund, and the Mama-Pima cooking oil initiative, all designed to spur inclusion but often shadowed by concerns of transparency, duplication, and sustainability.
We have set up a fund to train 600,000 women, including single mothers – Ruto
The Rise of the “Fund Economy”
Since taking office, President Ruto has styled himself as the champion of the hustler. His administration has rolled out or revived multiple funds meant to put capital directly into citizens’ hands, bypassing traditional bureaucratic structures.
Among these are:
- Hustler Fund (KSh 50 billion) launched in 2022 for instant mobile loans.
- Women Enterprise Fund, revamped in 2023 with digital access.
- Youth Enterprise Development Fund, now focused on skill-based ventures.
- Mama-Pima Initiative, launched in 2024 for subsidized cooking oil dispensers.
- Uwezo Fund, continuing allocations to grassroots groups.
- Affordable Housing Fund, financed through mandatory salary deductions.
- SME Credit Guarantee Scheme, offering risk-sharing to small businesses.
- And now, the Single Mothers and Women Fund, unveiled in 2025.
These funds mirror the administration’s drive to “empower from below,” yet critics warn Kenya risks trading institutional reforms for populist cash programs.
Spectacle or Substance?
In August 2025, a high-profile State House empowerment event saw 1,100 Nairobi groups, each with 10 members, receive assorted items including brand-new motorbikes, in what officials called “economic empowerment.”
State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed said “every registered group got their share.”
But questions have persisted about transparency and accountability in similar drives, including those led by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, who has spearheaded nationwide empowerment tours targeting women, youth, and traders.
These initiatives, aligned with the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), have drawn scrutiny over whether empowerment is being used to uplift livelihoods or consolidate political goodwill ahead of 2027.
Hustler Fund: The Flagship, the Flaws, and the Lessons
The Hustler Fund remains Ruto’s flagship initiative, a digital credit scheme celebrated for accessibility but criticized for its financial inconsistencies.
By early 2024, over 22 million Kenyans had registered, with KSh 42 billion disbursed, according to the Ministry of Cooperatives and MSME Development.
Yet a 2024 Auditor-General’s report flagged discrepancies between Safaricom’s disbursement data and government records, raising doubts about actual repayment rates and uncollected interest.
Local leaders alleged that some borrowers received smaller loans than advertised, prompting MPs to demand a full audit.
Still, officials have defended the programme.
“We read a lot of malice in this report. The timing of its release says it all,” said Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya after a Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) report highlighted high default rates.
Oparanya added, “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. 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.”
The Numbers Behind the Narrative
- KHRC Report: For every Sh500 disbursed under the Hustler Fund, KSh 340 was lost a 68.3pc default rate.
- Cytonn Analysis: The cost of bad loans and operations stood at 58%, compared to the 8% interest charged, implying a net loss of nearly 50pc.
- Treasury Data: Government spent KSh 401.98 million in 2023/24 on Hustler Fund saver incentives, projected to grow to KSh 2.5 billion in 2025/26 and Sh5 billion in 2026/27.
- NYOTA Programme: Allocated KSh 20 billion for youth aged 18–29.
- Single Mothers and Women Fund: Cost or allocations not yet disclosed.
Elsewhere, CS Oparanya announced that nationwide verification for the Nyota Fund begins Friday across 290 constituencies, with CS Oparanya announcing that 100,000 youth will receive mentorship and KSh 50,000 business grants, limited to those physically verified.
For many Kenyans, these funds have provided tangible relief from market women to boda boda riders.
But without consistent oversight, transparency, and measurable outcomes, the country risks an empowerment fatigue built on politics rather than performance.
As the new Single Mothers and Women Fund rolls out, Kenya faces a critical test:
Can the government deliver genuine empowerment without repeating the mistakes that haunt the Hustler Fund?
