Principal Secretary for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development Susan Mang’eni has hit back at DCP Party Leader Rigathi Gachagua following his criticism of the government’s Hustler Fund, challenging his claims about the programme’s impact on Kenyans.
Gachagua criticised the Financial Inclusion Fund, popularly known as the Hustler Fund, during his “Ruto at 4” national address on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, questioning its impact on ordinary Kenyans and the whereabouts of the money allocated to the programme.
The former deputy president claimed that President William Ruto’s administration had established a Hustler Fund whose impact was difficult to trace despite billions of shillings reportedly being disbursed.
“The hustler fund is said to have disbursed Ksh. 87 billion to 28 million people. What a paradox, what a lie!” Gachagua said.
He further challenged the government to demonstrate how the fund had transformed small businesses, claiming he had yet to hear from a Kenyan who had expanded their enterprise using the programme.
“I am yet to hear any Kenyan say they have expanded their business courtesy of the hustler fund,” Gachagua stated.
However, Mang’eni responded shortly afterwards in a statement shared on her Facebook account, using Nyeri County as an example to challenge Gachagua’s assertions.
She said hundreds of thousands of residents in the county had accessed the fund, with borrowers collectively receiving billions of shillings.
“To date, in Nyeri County, 420,000 Kenyans have accessed the Hustler Fund, borrowing cumulatively Ksh 1.88 billion,” Mang’eni said.
According to the PS, Nyeri has also recorded strong repayment performance, posting the highest rate nationally.
“Nyeri County also has the highest repayment rate in the country at 88%, followed closely by Murang’a, Kiambu, and Nairobi at 87%,” she stated.
Mang’eni further highlighted individual borrowing figures in the county, saying the top borrower had cumulatively accessed Ksh2.06 million.
“In Mathira Constituency, the top borrower has accessed Ksh. 648,000. In Ruguru Ward, the top borrower has accessed Ksh. 584,000,” she added.
Her response appeared aimed at providing figures to counter Gachagua’s criticism and demonstrate the fund’s reach among residents.
Mang’eni concluded her statement with a pointed question directed at the former Deputy President: “Huyu anaskiza ground gani?” loosely translated as, “Which ground is he listening to?”
The exchange has added a fresh political dimension to the debate over the Hustler Fund, with the government defending the programme’s reach while the opposition continues to question whether it has delivered meaningful economic benefits to ordinary Kenyans.
