President William Ruto urged Kenyans to repay Hustler Fund loans while rallying support for the contentious proposed housing fund as a means of addressing joblessness.
Dr. Ruto stated in Embu that the loans with an annual interest rate of 8% must be paid.
“The Hustler funds are not for free and should be returned to the government,” he said.
He reminded Kenyans that the soft loans were given to them in order for them to start small companies and improve their living standards.
“We wanted Kenyans to access funds so as to benefit and they should not abuse the programme. Some people are saying they voted for me and they must keep the funds, no it should not happen like this. The funds given are debts and Kenyans should pay up,” he said.
He promised to launch stage two of the funds during Madaraka Day Celebrations so that Kenyans can benefit even more.
“In stage two, Kenyans will be able to get between Sh20,000 and Sh200,000 without collateral,” he said.
The Head of State, accompanied by his deputy Rigathi Gachagua, stated that his government was intended to financially empower all Kenyans.
He stated that Embu citizens had borrowed Sh500 million and that 70% of them had paid back the debts.
He claimed that his government had spent millions of shillings to transform Embu and its surroundings.
Dr. Ruto complimented Governor Cecily Mbarire for being a hardworking leader who is improving her people’s living circumstances.
“We have even elected Mbarire as the chairperson of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) due to her competency,” he said.
Simultaneously, President Ruto claimed that the government’s goal to create jobs for five million unemployed Kenyans by providing low-cost affordable housing and supporting small and medium-sized businesses was unstoppable.
He complained that millions of Kenyans, the majority of whom were youngsters, were wandering the streets doing nothing and that they needed to be helped.
“Creating jobs is not a game of guess work, creating jobs should be intentional, practical and must be planned,” he said.
