The Women Enterprise Fund has dismissed as unfounded and malicious attacks by anonymous critics circulating on social media platforms, citing financial impropriety by the organisation.
The Women Enterprise Fund CEO Racheal Musyoki and the Chairperson of the Fund’s Advisory Board Jane Lang’at termed the allegations being pushed on some blogger sites as entirely baseless and misleading.
In a joint statement, the CEO and the Chairperson also defended the Principal Secretary for the State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action, Anne Wang’ombe, who was targeted by the cyber attackers.
The cyber slur, which cited the current report by the Auditor General on the Fund, made unfounded one-sided allegations against the organization, which bordered on defamation and character assassination, note the CEO and the Chair.
They said in their statement: “The Fund has been transparent and focused on empowering women across Kenya and operates with the highest standards of accountability, ensuring that resources are utilised effectively to support women's economic empowerment.”
“The Fund, being a semi-autonomous Government agency, operates independently from the State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action where PS Anne Wang'ombe has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication in her role as the administrator of the Fund,” read the statement.
Musyoki and Lang’at said, in line with accountability and transparency, the Women Enterprise Fund will appear before the Parliamentary Special Funds Accounts Committee to respond to the Auditor General's queries as part of the public audit procedure, affirming they are dedicated to protecting public funds and ensuring that they benefit the intended recipients.
They urged members of the public to seek information from credible sources and not be swayed by unfounded claims from malicious sources.
They reaffirmed the Women Enterprise Fund’s mandate as a government-affiliated financial institution established under the Public Finance Management Act to empower women economically by providing accessible credit, capacity-building programs, and market linkages.
The statement noted that in the financial year under review, the Fund delivered impressive results, demonstrating resilience and efficiency despite the transition in its executive leadership, including the appointment of Racheal Musyoki as the new CEO.
The top officials added that seamless continuity in operations has ensured that core budgetary targets were met, with 2.2 million women entrepreneurs across the country benefiting from financial support.
“The Fund’s ability to
maintain steady disbursements of Sh27.9 billion and recoveries amid
leadership changes underscores its strong institutional framework and
commitment to its mandate. This stability has reinforced confidence among
stakeholders, including government agencies, development partners, and women’s
business groups,” read the statement.
They noted, currently, the
Fund’s portfolio supports One Hundred and Fifty thousand women groups and
individual entrepreneurs across various sectors, including agriculture, trade,
and manufacturing.
Said the statement, “In the
last financial year, the WEF disbursed loans to over 18,955 women groups and
individual businesses, enabling them to expand operations, create jobs and
improve livelihoods. By maintaining a strong portfolio and implementing
targeted programs, the Women Enterprise Fund continues to prove its relevance
as a key driver of women’s economic empowerment in Kenya.”
