Hustler Fund
Also known as: Financial Inclusion Fund, Hustler Fund Kenya, HF
Full definition
Hustler Fund is the trading name of the Financial Inclusion Fund, a Kenyan government micro-credit scheme launched on 30 November 2022. It is administered by the State Department for MSME Development and disbursed through mobile network operators (Safaricom, Airtel, Telkom) using the shortcode *254#.
Any Kenyan adult with a national ID and a mobile-money line can register on *254# in under a minute. The first loan is small (KES 500 to KES 1,000 depending on the borrower's initial score) with a 14-day tenor, an 8 percent per annum interest rate (very low by Kenyan digital-lender standards) and a mandatory savings hook: 5 percent of every disbursed loan is automatically diverted into a long-term savings pot (95 percent long-term, 5 percent short-term) that earns interest and is intended to eventually flow into a pension.
Repayment behaviour builds a Hustler Fund score, and consistently on-time borrowers unlock higher limits (paybillke's Hustler Fund review has the current tier table). Non-repayment can result in listing on the Credit Reference Bureaus (CRB), consistent with the broader Kenyan credit reporting framework.
Worked example
A first-time borrower dials *254#, registers with their national ID, and requests KES 500. Safaricom disburses KES 475 to M-PESA (KES 25 is the 5 percent savings deduction). She must repay KES 500 + interest within 14 days.
Verified 2026-09-01. Definitions on paybillke are sourced from Safaricom PLC Annual Report FY2026, the Central Bank of Kenya, the Communications Authority of Kenya, the Kenya Revenue Authority, and the primary operator documentation for each product. How we verify. Report a change.