President William Ruto has appointed a management team for the Hustler Fund, a financial inclusion initiative, through a special edition of the Kenya Gazette.
Irene Muthoni Metha-Karimi was appointed as the non-executive chairperson of the Financial Inclusion Fund board, while Simon Chelugui, Cabinet Secretary for MSME Development, appointed three others to the board.
Lawrence Kibet Chelimo, Paul Ndore Musymi, and Hardlyne Lusui will serve as members of the board for three years.
The Hustler Fund is required to have an eight-member advisory board and the regulations dictate that the fund will have a non-executive chairperson appointed by the President.
Kibet is a lawyer and certified public secretary with experience in the capital markets, Musymi is a lawyer and ally of former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko, and Lusui is a banker who has previously sat on the board of Consolidated Bank.
On her part, the chairperson boasts an impressive educational background, having earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan.
She is a holder of several certifications, including a Certified Performance Technologist from the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) in 2007.
Muthoni has also received certificates in various fields such as project management, project analysis, monitoring and evaluation from the USDA Graduate School in Washington, D.C.
With over 30 years of experience in diverse fields of expertise, Karimi describes herself as an accomplished professional in the field of international development.
She has extensive experience in project management, organizational development, training, access to finance, investment, grants management, and quality assurance.Other members of the board will include Principal Secretaries in charge of Treasury, SMEs and Co-operatives.
The Hustler Fund aims to empower young and upcoming entrepreneurs by providing them with affordable loans to help them grow their ventures and create jobs.