Youths in Nyamira south Sub County, who have not yet repaid back their Youth Enterprise Development Fund, risk being blacklisted by Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) in the next three months.
According to the Sub county Youth Enterprise Development Fund officer Agnes Moturi, there are about 600 youths in the sub-county who have failed to pay back over Sh1.9 million and yet the grace period is over.
She added that defaulters are members of 71 youth groups issued with loans from 2007 to initiate income-generating projects as part of the national government initiative to empower youth across the country.
“Most groups that got loans ranging between fifty and two hundred thousands have defaulted on repayment for close to a decade and in the process we have invited potentially severe sanctions including having their members’ names listed by CRB,” she added.
Speaking in her office early Tuesday in Nyamira, the officer said her office is still pursuing defaulting youth groups in a bid to compel them to start repaying the money.
She however said many groups dissolved immediately after receiving the money while other groups had given contacts that are no longer functional, thereby making it hard for the officers manning the fund to trace the defaulters’ location.
Photo: Some of the youths who recently benefited from Uwezo Funds. Defaulters are set to be blacklisted from getting loans. WMongare/Hivisasa