Uwezo Fund Registration and Application

In September 2013, the Uwezo Fund was established under the Legal Notice No. 21 of the Public Finance Management Act, 2014.

As a vital component of the Vision 2030 flagship program, its primary objective is facilitating financial access for Women, Youth, and Persons with disabilities, empowering them to develop businesses and enterprises at the grassroots level, specifically within constituencies.

This article explores the Uwezo Fund’s significance in fostering entrepreneurship, promoting inclusivity, and contributing to the economy’s growth.

By providing financial opportunities to underrepresented groups, the Uwezo Fund aims to drive socio-economic progress and create a more equitable society in line with Kenya’s developmental vision.

Uwezo Fund provides mentorship opportunities to its beneficiaries, thus enabling them to take advantage of the 30% government procurement preference via its Capacity Building Programme.

The Fund, therefore, is an avenue for incubating enterprises, catalyzing innovation, promoting industry, creating employment, and growing the economy.

An oversight board manages the Fund at the national level, and a Constituency Uwezo Fund Committee (CUFC) at the constituency level government representatives and members of various Wards.

Read Also: Youth Fund Kenya

What are the Objectives of the Uwezo Fund?

The Fund’s objectives are to

• Expand access to finances to promote youth and women businesses and enterprises at the constituency level.
• Generate and promote self-employment for the youth and women, and lastly to
• Model an alternative finance framework in funding community is driven development.

Eligibility Criteria for Uwezo Fund Applicants.

Applicants shall qualify for Fund loan application if

For a group

• It has to be registered with the Registrar of Societies, the Department of social services, or Cooperatives.
• Must have members between 18 and 35, whereas the women’s groups shall comprise women aged 18 years and above.
• It is based and operational at the constituency it seeks to make an application for consideration.
• Operates a table banking structure or any other group fund structure where members make monthly contributions according to the group’s internal rules.
• Have evidence of monthly contributions.
• Hold a bank account in the name of the group.

For an institution

• the Institution should be a registered entity and have listed youth and women groups within it.

How to apply for Uwezo Fund

To apply for the Uwezo fund,

1. Ensure that you meet the eligibility criteria stated above
2. Fill in an application form (available at the Constituency Uwezo Fund Management Committee office).
3. Apply the relevant documents to the Constituency Uwezo Fund Management Committee office. And await notification from the committee.

Eligible Amount

For administration of the Fund

Eligible qualifying amounts for a group shall be a minimum of Ksh 50,000 and a maximum of Ksh 500,000 at any time. The following criteria are used to determine the total amount that a group is eligible to receive

• The Length of time the group has been in existence
• The total amount contributed by the group
• Current status of contribution and
• The proposed business plan for the loan applied

Note: The eligible amount shall be three times the group savings, BUT it shall not be

• Below Kshs. 50,000 (Minimum).
• More than the amount applied for in the application form and
• More than Kshs. 500,000 (Maximum).

Uwezo Fund Contact Details

Lonrho House, 16th Floor, Standard St.
P. O. Box 42009 – 00100, Nairobi
Call: +254 020 2210557
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

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