NGPU May 30, 2025

Sh100M Lifeline for Nakuru Hustlers as Governor Kihika Launches Wezesha Fund

Written by Roy Lumbe

Nakuru County has taken a bold step toward economic transformation with the launch of a Sh100 million financial empowerment initiative aimed at supporting small businesses and cooperatives.

H.E. Governor Susan Kihika unveiled the ambitious Wezesha Funds program at the Agricultural Training Centre (ATC) in Soilo, in a move she said would open new doors of opportunity for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and cooperative societies across the county.

The twin funds, the Nakuru County Enterprise Fund and the Co-operative Revolving Development Fund are designed to ease access to affordable credit, stimulate grassroots entrepreneurship, and create employment opportunities for thousands of residents.

Speaking at the launch, Governor Kihika described the initiative as a fulfilment of one of her key campaign pledges: creating a sustainable financial environment for the small business and cooperative sectors.

“Access to credit is the lifeblood of MSMEs. It allows businesses to expand, increase productivity, and create jobs,” she said. “We are giving financial legs to our boda bodas, matatus, transport Saccos, community health providers, and farmers to walk the journey of enterprise development.”

The Enterprise Fund will provide loans ranging from Sh50,000 to Sh200,000 to registered groups at an interest rate of 8 per cent per annum, while the Cooperative Revolving Fund will offer cooperatives loans of between Sh200,000 and Sh5 million at a reduced interest rate of 6 per cent.

So far, six cooperatives have qualified for loans amounting to Sh21 million, while 95 groups have secured Sh16 million. Many more applications are currently under appraisal.

To ensure the funds are managed professionally and transparently, the county government has partnered with Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), which will oversee loan appraisal and disbursement. KCB General Manager David Nyamu, who was present at the launch, urged borrowers to take the program seriously and make timely repayments.

“We encourage responsible borrowing,” Nyamu said. “If borrowers repay on time and use the funds wisely, we will raise loan limits to five times—and eventually ten times. Nakuru has the potential to become a leading investment hub in Kenya.”

Governor Kihika urged farmers, boda boda operators, community health promoters, women, youth, and small traders to form or join Saccos and groups for easier access to the funds. She noted that the county is actively registering such groups through the Directorate of Cooperatives and revealed that 2,762 out of 3,300 Community Health Promoters had already joined the Nakuru CHP Sacco.

She also called on residents to register for the Social Health Authority (SHA), stating: “SHA works. Pay for SHA, and we’ll ensure you’re taken good care of.”

Kihika appealed to donors, financial institutions, and private sector partners to join the initiative through grants and co-financing. The regulations governing the funds permit such partnerships, which she stated are crucial for building resilient and self-reliant MSMEs and cooperatives.

Governor Kihika, in her closing remark, stressed that; “This is an intervention whose time has come. We are creating a strong entrepreneurial wave that will help reduce poverty, foster development, and empower every corner of our county.”