Industry players differ with Oparanya, expose Hustler Fund hitches
By Paulette Mboga, August 5, 2025A day after Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya strongly defended the Hustler Fund, different industry players have come out to explain why the initiative has not been fully successful.
Weighing in on the issue, political leader and mobiliser Cathy Irungu has questioned the effectiveness of the Hustler Fund in addressing the financial challenges of everyday Kenyans.
Speaking during a TV interview on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, Irungu said that while the idea behind the fund could have been noble, the actual execution has failed to uplift those who need it most.
“Hustler Fund does not really benefit the normal mwananchi, so who is benefiting from the fund?” she asked.
“If you give Ksh1,000 to mama mboga operating a kiosk, it makes sense. But if you give that Ksh1,000 to young people who have no running businesses, it doesn’t make sense.”
Irungu’s remarks come just a day after Oparanya strongly defended the Hustler Fund against a report by the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), which recommended the scrapping of the programme.
Not well planned
Joining Irungu on the panel was businessman and political commentator Zachariah Barasa, who echoed her sentiments. He argued that the fund, though widely promoted, lacks a practical foundation and fails to offer meaningful support to aspiring entrepreneurs.
“The problem is some of these initiatives were not well thought out before being rolled out,” Barasa said.
“For instance, Hustler Fund gives out Ksh500 or Ksh1,000 to Kenyans — what business can you start with that small money?”
Barasa emphasised the need for structured support, including training and follow-up, for any fund to truly transform lives at the grassroots level.
Oparanya defends fund amid growing criticism
The discussion came a day after CS Wycliffe Oparanya dismissed a critical KHRC report that called for the end of the Hustler Fund. Speaking in Nairobi on Monday, August 4, 2025, Oparanya termed the report “misleading, biased, and politically motivated.”
“The claims made by KHRC are inaccurate and seem designed to discredit a programme that is helping millions of Kenyans,” he said.
“They never contacted us for data or clarification. This is not an objective report; it is an ambush.”
According to the CS, more than 26 million Kenyans have accessed the Hustler Fund since its launch, with over nine million currently repaying loans.