Two hundred and twenty-one Kenyans have received a total of Ksh31 million in loans through the national government’s Ajira Majuu programme.
The loans, disbursed through the Uwezo Fund, will be repaid in installments by beneficiaries while working overseas, officials said.
Speaking at a forum on policy measures to strengthen Uwezo Fund performance, Board Chairperson Ann Njuguna confirmed that 221 youths have already benefited from the programme.
She said the board is introducing stricter monitoring policies to track youth and women groups that received funds but have defaulted on repayments.
Since its inception, the government has disbursed Ksh8.13 billion through the Uwezo Fund, but only Ksh2.33 billion has been recovered, leaving over Ksh4.8 billion in unpaid loans.
Uwezo Fund CEO attributed the low recovery rate to the collapse of some beneficiary groups shortly after receiving funds, making repayment difficult.
The Ajira Majuu initiative forms part of the government’s broader strategy to empower youth economically and reduce unemployment by facilitating overseas job opportunities.
