The government through the Uwezo Fund has disbursed Sh8.13 billion to 83,000 groups across all 290 constituencies since its inception in 2014, targeting women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
This was disclosed by Uwezo Fund Oversight Board Chair Ann Njuguna during a three-day strategic retreat at Machakos University, attended by board members and the fund’s senior management team. The retreat aimed to review and strengthen key policy frameworks guiding the fund’s mandate of empowering vulnerable groups.
Addressing the media, Njuguna said the retreat is an opportunity to refocus, reflect, and re-strategize on diversifying the fund’s services. “The reason we are here with the board members and the secretariat is to refocus, reflect, and re-strategize our fund and diversify our portfolio services,” she said.
She highlighted that the fund has reached 53,787 women groups, 27,098 youth groups, and 2,122 groups of PWDs, affirming the impact of the fund as a national empowerment instrument that uplifts and transforms lives while promoting the inclusivity agenda under the Bottom-Up Transformative Agenda (BETA).
The retreat focused on assessing performance, tracking achievements, identifying emerging challenges, and proposing mitigation measures, while reinforcing governance, accountability, credit and loan policies, communication policy, and risk management frameworks.
Njuguna also highlighted the new WEZESHA MAJUU loan, designed to support youth, women, and PWD groups who have secured employment abroad but face financial difficulties. She confirmed that Sh31 million has been disbursed to 221 beneficiaries, covering visa processing, airfares, agency fees, and other pre-departure costs to encourage labor mobility.
While celebrating these achievements, Njuguna acknowledged the need for loan recovery, noting that only Sh2.3 billion of the Sh8.13 billion disbursed since 2014 has been repaid, highlighting a need for intensified collection efforts.
Uwezo Fund CEO Peter Lengapiani confirmed that Sh4.8 billion remains outstanding. He explained that administrative officers are being deployed to recover loans and that defaulters are being followed up to understand challenges and provide top-up support where businesses have collapsed.
“This money is constituency-based. Failure to repay affects local economic growth, but revolving the fund enhances constituency development,” said Lengapiani. He cited Machakos as an example, where Sh32 million was disbursed and Sh11 million repaid, reflecting roughly 50 percent repayment. He called on Women Representatives and Members of Parliament to encourage repayment and identify entrepreneurial groups to empower.
“The aim of this fund is to ensure that we walk with beneficiaries to ensure their enterprises grow and succeed,” the Uwezo CEO added.
Uwezo Fund is a flagship Vision 2030 programme that provides interest-free financing to promote grassroots business growth for women, youth, and PWDs, while accelerating economic development and inclusivity.
By Anne Kangero
