Hustler Fund — Bridge Loan

Hustler Fund — Bridge Loan

Supports Kenyan businesses with bridge financing for working capital through mobile channels.

The Hustler Fund Bridge Loan is a working-capital credit product offered by Kenya's Financial Inclusion Fund (Hustler Fund) specifically to small businesses. The Hustler Fund was launched in November 2022 by President William Ruto as a state-backed financial inclusion initiative under the Ministry of Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development. Access requires no traditional collateral — credit history built within the platform substitutes for payslips, title deeds, or logbooks. All transactions are conducted via USSD code *254# on Safaricom, Telkom, or Airtel networks, with funds disbursed directly via mobile money.

The Bridge Loan product is designed for small businesses requiring working capital bridge finance, and carries higher credit ceilings than the personal or group products. Public reporting cites qualifying ceilings of up to KES 2.5 million for eligible businesses. Interest is set at 8% per annum, consistent across all Hustler Fund products. A mandatory savings deduction of 5% applies to each disbursement — 70% directed to a long-term savings account and 30% to a short-term withdrawable account. The Bridge Loan is available exclusively to for-profit small businesses registered and operating in Kenya; individuals and nonprofits are not eligible borrowers under this product.

This is a loan product, not a grant. All amounts are denominated in Kenyan Shillings (KES). The facility is open-access with no fixed competitive window or application deadline; businesses apply via USSD at any time. By early 2026, the broader Hustler Fund had served over 27 million Kenyans and disbursed more than KES 84 billion cumulatively. Kenyan small businesses seeking bridge working capital should access the fund through the *254# USSD channel or by contacting hustlerfund.go.ke.