Gov’t Introduces Interest Free Loans For Widows Under Women Enterprise Fund

SIAYA,Kenya, Nov, 26 – Widows nationwide are set to benefit from a government backed programme through the Women Enterprise Fund dubbed, ’Thamini’ that is set to provide interest free loans with beneficiaries also not obligated to pay any administrative fees.

Public service, gender, senior citizens affairs and special programmes, cabinet secretary professor Margaret Kobia made the announcement in Siaya where 15 widow’s groups are set to be the country’s first beneficiaries of the programme.

The groups will receive loans of upto Sh1.5 million after receiving training on how to best boost their businesses.

“The beneficiaries of the Thamini loan will get between Sh100,000 to Sh1,000,000 with flexible repayment terms for a period of up to 30 months,” said Kobia.

More than 1.6 million widows have received business skills training with the government reiterating its commitment to the principle of inclusion and participation of all Kenyans through implementation of an affirmative action funds for the youth and women all over the country.

So far, the government has disbursed more than Sh 295.4 million through the women enterprise fund to women in Siaya County.

“The amount has benefitted 34,882 beneficiaries, with a good repayment rate of 95%,” she said while applauding the local women for their boldness and courage to take up the funds and expand their businesses and paying promptly.

Kobia meanwhile hailed the Huduma Kenya programme saying that it has greatly boosted service delivery to Kenyans. More than Sh200 billion is said to have been saved with a majority of that money ideally having being spent on transport by Kenyans visiting government offices multiple times in order to receive services in the past.

The money is also said to have been used in the past in various corruption incidents.

Government has so far reduced the cost of providing services by at leat Sh118 billion.

“More than 56 million citizen’s requests have been processed and more than 50,000 Kenyans continue to receive convenient services every day under one roof with no need for funding and maintaining multiple office spaces and provision of utilities” she said.