By Ongaga Ongaga
The Financial Inclusion Fund, popularly known as the Hustler Fund, is seeking partnerships with mainstream financial institutions to enable borrowers with strong repayment records to access larger loans from commercial banks.
Speaking in Nairobi, Hustler Fund Chief Executive Officer Henry Tanui said the initiative is aimed at creating a clear transition path for customers who have built positive credit histories through the fund.
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Tanui held talks with Moses Nyabanda, the Chief Executive Officer of Equity Bank Kenya, to explore collaboration opportunities that would allow Hustler Fund borrowers to graduate to higher loan limits within the formal banking sector.
“The discussions focused on creating a pathway for borrowers with strong borrowing and repayment histories through the Hustler Fund to access larger loans from the formal banking sector,” the fund said in a statement.
Since its launch in November 2022, the Hustler Fund has emerged as one of Kenya’s largest financial inclusion programmes.
According to the fund, more than 27 million Kenyans have benefited from the initiative, with over Sh84 billion disbursed in loans and more than Sh6 billion mobilised in savings.
The programme has also helped improve the credit standing of over seven million Kenyans who had previously been negatively listed by Credit Reference Bureaus (CRBs).
Equity Bank Kenya, one of the region’s leading lenders, has also been at the forefront of financial literacy and enterprise development through programmes run under the Equity Group Foundation.
The bank says it has trained more than 2.3 million youth and women in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and digital skills to support sustainable businesses and improve financial management.
Under the proposed partnership, the Hustler Fund’s borrower data and nationwide reach would be combined with Equity Bank’s lending capacity and financial literacy programmes to create a broader and more inclusive credit ecosystem for Kenyans.
