A group of women in Kisumu has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Kenya Women Microfinance Bank (KWFT) Kisumu branch, demanding the immediate release of their shares and loan facilities, accusing the institution of frustrating customers who have saved with the bank for years.
Speaking to the media in Kisumu on Tuesday, Silver Women Group Chairperson Syprose Odiwuor said the members had exhausted all available channels in seeking answers from the bank and would take unspecified action if their grievances were not addressed by next Tuesday.
“Today we have come here to demand our rightful shares. We want our money by Tuesday next week. If that does not happen, we shall take further action,” said Odiwuor.
She claimed that members of the group had endured months of frustration while trying to access their savings, shares, and loan facilities. According to her, some members completed all the required documentation and applied for loans as early as April, but have yet to receive any response from the bank.
“We have members who applied for loans in April, but nothing has materialised to date. Others requested to withdraw their shares, but no action has been taken. We filled out all the necessary forms, yet no one has responded,” she said.
Odiwuor further accused the bank’s management of ignoring customers’ concerns despite repeated attempts to seek clarification through phone calls and other communication channels.
She challenged the institution to openly communicate with customers if it was experiencing operational difficulties instead of keeping members in uncertainty.
“If KWFT is facing challenges or is unable to continue serving customers, they should tell us the truth. We are tired of being taken in circles. By Tuesday, we want our shares and we want to move on,” she added.
The chairperson alleged that prolonged delays and financial frustrations had negatively affected several families, claiming some members had suffered severe economic hardship due to their inability to access funds.
Another member of the group, Nereah Omollo, a small-scale trader, said the situation had left her struggling to support her family and educate her children.
Omollo, who has children in both primary school and university, said she had been unable to secure a loan despite meeting the bank’s requirements and maintaining a savings relationship with the institution since 2008.
“We have been saving with this bank for years, but when we need our money, they refuse to release it. We have filled form after form, yet nothing is happening. I have been unable to take my children to school because I cannot access loans or my shares,” she said.
She also accused the bank of making unexplained deductions from customers’ accounts, claiming that concerns raised with management had gone unanswered.
According to the group, membership has significantly declined over the years, with many women reportedly losing confidence in the institution and opting to leave.
Efforts to obtain a response from the bank’s management were unsuccessful, as officials declined to comment on the allegations raised by the customers.
