Kericho County Governor Dr. Erick Mutai has identified cooperative societies as integral aspects of rural industrialization, value addition and the development of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), positioning them as the county’s main vehicle for delivering the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA)
Speaking during the International Day of Cooperatives (Ushirika Day) celebrations held at Kericho Primary School, Mutai said Cooperatives offer a surest path to raising farmers’ income, creating jobs and growing MSMEs
“If we want to transform the lives of our people and put more money into the pockets of our farmers, then we must build strong cooperatives. Strong cooperatives create strong farmers, strong businesses and strong communities,” Mutai said.
The governor said Kericho’s economy is based on organized, professionally run cooperative societies capable of driving production, processing, value addition and marketing while guaranteeing farmers maximum returns for their produce.
He disclosed that the county government had deliberately redirected its agricultural support programmes away from individual beneficiaries towards cooperative societies, with the aim of strengthening governance, improve accountability and ensure public investment reaches a wider pool of farmers
According to Mutai, the approach mirrors the national BETA framework, which identifies agriculture and MSMEs as the pillars for job creation, food security, value addition and inclusive economic growth.
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Although Kericho remains Kenya’s leading tea-producing county, Mutai said the local government was deliberately diversifying the agricultural economy by channelling investment into coffee, dairy, sugarcane, cereals and livestock through cooperative societies.
The governor said the county would continue partnering with cooperative societies to boost sugarcane production through farmer training, adoption of improved agronomic practices and promotion of high-yielding cane varieties.
Mutai added that cooperative societies would take a central role in managing selected county-supported agro-processing facilities, a strategy designed to strengthen farmer ownership and improve operational efficiency at the plants.
He said the strengthening of cooperative institutions would in turn accelerate MSME growth by expanding access to affordable credit, mobilizing savings and supporting entrepreneurship across agriculture, manufacturing, transport, retail trade and other productive sectors.
The governor also outlined plans to modernize cooperative operations through digital financial management systems, electronic record-keeping and improved communication platforms aimed at enhancing transparency, accountability and service delivery.
By Masaki Enock
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