Women Enterprise Fund is a Semi-Autonomous Government Agency in the Ministry of Gender, Children & Social Development established in August 2007, to provide accessible and affordable credit to support women start or expand business for wealth and employment creation. The Fund also provides business support services such as capacity building, marketing, promotion of linkages and infrastructure support.
The "Tuinuke Loan" is a loan product at the constituency level or otherwise known as Constituency Women Enterprise Scheme (CWES). The Tuinuke loan product is given out through registered women groups interested in expanding or starting new businesses.
Tuinuke Loan has the following features:
- Must be a registered self-help group of 10 members and above comprising 100% women or 70 % women and 30% men. All leadership positions and account signatories must be held by women.
- Must have an account in a Bank/SACCO FOSA/Post Bank/Deposit Taking Micro-finance (DTM) and must have been in existence for at least 3 months.
- Groups must be trained in business management skills by the WEF officers as a prerequisite for the loan application
CWES loan is interest-free, with only a 5% administrative fee with a grace period of 1 month. The loan amounts given, graduation principle and the repayment period is as follows:
CYCLE AMOUNT (Ksh.) REPAYMENT PERIOD
First Cycle 100,000 12 Months
Second Cycle 200,000 12 Months
Third Cycle 350,000 12 Months
Fourth Cycle 500,000 15 Months
Fifth Cycle 750,000 24 Moths
Loan applications forms are available for free from the Fund’s Regional Offices based at all provincial headquarters, the Fund’s Head Quarters at NSSF building Eastern Wing, block A on 11th, 12th, and 14th floors and can also be downloaded from website, www.wef.co.ke
