The Hustler Fund is the only government project free from corruption, President William Ruto stated.
During the launch of Kenya’s 5th Open Government Partnership Action Plan in Nairobi, he attributed this to the technology-based platform used to manage the fund.
Ruto explained that technology has protected the fund from corruption while ensuring its operations are seamless and transparent. He suggested that the outcome would have been different if the Hustler Fund had been managed by a committee, indicating it would have been more prone to misuse.
The President disclosed that his administration has invested approximately Ksh 12 billion into the Hustler Fund. He noted that over 22 million Kenyans have benefited from the fund, with more than two million people borrowing from it daily.
“We launched the Hustler Fund with Ksh 12 billion invested so far. Already, 22 million Kenyans are beneficiaries, and today, two million Kenyans borrow from the fund every day. It operates on a technology platform,” Ruto said.
He further explained, “It is the single government project that has no corruption because technology has provided a framework to make sure we insulate it. Just imagine if we were giving out the Hustler Fund using committees from every location. It would be chaos. Technology has made it seamless, transparent and easy.”
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Ruto used the Hustler Fund as a prime example of how the government is leveraging technology to benefit the people. He acknowledged that while technology brings challenges, it also offers significant opportunities.
“From technology to Artificial Intelligence, we face great opportunities despite some challenges,” the President remarked. “I will provide two examples of how we are taking advantage of technology, with the Hustler Fund being one.”
Additionally, Ruto mentioned the Means Testing Instrument behind the new University Funding model as the other technological advancement the government is leveraging. Although the model has faced criticism from various education stakeholders, the government stands by its effectiveness.
