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A committee of the National Assembly wants the House to be furnished with a list of Hustler Fund loan defaulters, their names and amounts owed.
The Special Funds Accounts Committee sought the details from the management of the Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF) following revelations that the Hustler Fund has a default rate of 78 per cent.
Fund’s acting chief executive officer Elizabeth Nkukuu, says they are seeking to recover Sh7 billion owed by 13 million Kenyans who have defaulted.
She added that they were considering enforcement measures via mobile money accounts and mobile airtime deductions.
“We are exploring the possibility of recovering the funds from Mpesa or airtime linked to defaulters. This is still under deliberation as we work towards securing the necessary legal provisions,” she said.
Legislators expressed concerns over the authenticity of the reported default figures. The request by the Fatuma Zainab-led committee comes on the heels of an announcement by Cooperative and MSMEs Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya that he will be going after defaulters.
Oparanya said his ministry is developing a system to track Kenyans who have not repaid their loans.
“You will see someone knocking at your door and ask, can you pay the Hustler loan back for the benefit of others,” he said.
4th Edition of East Africa Community Inter-Parliamentary Games (EAC-IPG)
During the week, it emerged that Kenya was well on track to host the 14th Edition of the East Africa Community Inter-Parliamentary Games (EAC-IPG) to be held in Mombasa County from December 6 to December 18, 2024.
The co-chairperson, Bunge Sports Club Vincent Musau (Mwala) led MPs and the secretariat on a three-day inspection tour of the venues set to host the games. Musau said the necessary arrangements for the games have been made.
“We have just had a meeting with the security team this morning. They have assured us that they have more than enough personnel and infrastructure. I can also confirm that we have visited the playing grounds and the fields are available and ready for the games,” he said.
He added that necessary arrangements have been made for all participants in terms of hotel reservations. The team inspected Shanzu Teachers Training College grounds where football, athletics and tug of war will be held.
The National Assembly revised its schedule to convene a special sitting on Friday, October 18, “to address urgent matters.”
Speaker Moses Wetang'ula announced the special sitting before the House begins its recess next week.
“Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Orders 28(4) (Calendar of the House) and 30(3)(c) (Hours of Meeting), this House resolves to commence the short recess on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, and hold sittings on Friday, 18th October 2024, starting at 9:30 a.m. for the morning session and 2:30 p.m. for the afternoon session,” the notice stated.
South Mugirango MP Sylvanus Osoro moved the motion for the special sitting, citing the need to discuss pressing matters, including mediated bills.
Osoro explained that the sitting aims to recover time lost during Mazingira Day and the suspension of parliamentary activities for public participation in the Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s impeachment process.