President William Ruto has praised the success of the Hustler Fund, revealing that it has now disbursed over Ksh72 billion to ordinary Kenyans and claiming that it is larger than most banks.

The announcement came during an engagement with grassroots leaders at the State House, Nairobi, on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.

“Pale Hustler Fund, we have lent Ksh72 billion. Ni pesa kidogo; 500, 1,000, 5,000, 10,000, mpaka 150,000. Na hiyo Hustler Fund, unajua kuna watu wengine, mabwenyeye wajehuri, wanakaa hapa Serena. Niliona juzi walitoa statement hapo Serena, kusema ati, “Ooh, Hustler Fund iondolewe,” Ruto said.

“Mtu ameenda Serena amekunywa chai ya 2,000, alafu anauliza kwani 1,000 itasaidia mtu na nini. Hajui 1,000 inaeza nunua stock ya mtu for one day afanye biashara na asonge mbele. And because of lending citizens that small amounts, we have now lent 72 billion shillings. Hustler Fund is larger than most banks.”

He added that the fund has reached a vast customer base.

“Na mimi najua ata hapa mmeketi, very few people hawana account ya Hustler Fund. Karibu kila mtu hapa iko na account ya Hustler Fund. Kama umelipa ama haujalipa, that’s another story,” Ruto said.

“Tuko na watu 26 million wako ndani ya Hustler Fund. There is no other bank with that kind of customer base. Kuna mtu amekuja kuuziwa mali yake kwa sababu ya Hustler Fund? Unajua zile zingine ukidefault miezi mbili tatu wanakuja wanachukua sufuria, wanachukua nini, but we said the Hustler Fund is meant for ordinary people. Tutakungoja tu utalipa one day.”

Govt to cover SHA

Ruto also used the occasion to announce that starting next week, the government will cover Social Health Authority (SHA) contributions for 1.5 million Kenyans who cannot afford the coverage.

“From next week, God willing, from next week, we are now going to pay for the 1.5 million Kenyans who have no capacity to pay. We will pay for them,” he declared.

He explained that this initiative will ensure access to healthcare without forcing families to sell property or livestock to meet hospital expenses.

“That is how we are going to have a nation where nobody has to sell their property, no one has to sell their land, and no one has to sell their cattle so that they can go and pay the hospital bill. Everyone should be registered for SHA for two reasons.

“Number one, so that you get free treatment for outpatients in dispensaries, health centres, level three, level four, and sub-county hospitals. You go there, you get treated, you get medicine, you go home, and you’re not asked for a single cent,” Ruto said.