By Erick Nyayiera
Kisumu County leadership has been asked to incorporate the co-operative agenda in the County Integrated Development Plans to boost local Saccos.
The Chairman Kisumu County Ushirika Day celebrations Edward Matoke noted that the Saccos were in great need of support and improvement services from the government hence the embedment of the cooperative agenda into the CIDP will be in good taste.
“To achieve more in the cooperative sector, we need to take advantage of the ongoing planning in the County Government; devolution offers a pillar for social and economic development. As cooperators we promise to engage constructively with the leadership of the Kisumu County to ensure that the cooperative focus is deeply embedded in the Integrated Development Plans,” said Matoke.
Matoke appealed to the County Government of Kisumu to consider making provisions of structural improvements in the produce marketing cooperatives to provide equipment such as milk coolers, coffee hand pulpers and cold storage facilities for fish.
The Chairman appealed to the leadership of local Saccos to educate members on the importance of affordable credit and consumption.
“There is need for a standoff between lower interest and lower dividends in order to grow financial wealth of members, it’s important to be profitable but not at the expense of credit,” asserted Matoke.
He was speaking during the Kisumu County’s Ushirika Day Celebrations held at the Kisumu Museum grounds.
He revealed that cyber-crimes were on the rise and that unscrupulous individuals who are online criminals have found their way into databases of various co-operative organisations and are stealing monies from unsuspecting Saccos.
