By Bulimo Mathews Achola
Bungoma County Directorate of Cooperative Societies Development has asked residents to take part in the cooperative activities across the county.
Speaking to the press in his office, the director of cooperative societies Stanislaus Wambani asked people to participate actively in the running and management of the cooperative societies in the region by first enlisting as members.
He said that agriculture was dominated by old people, and so the youth must step forward to carry the development mantle of the cooperative sector.
“There is a deliberate effort through government policy formulations to bring the youth to the table through election to Board positions,” he said.
Wambani also said land ownership in the county was largely a preserve of the older generation, inviting the young people to engage in various activities in the value chain through coffee collection, especially in Chesikaki areas.
“Different cooperative societies have set up coffee collection centres. The youth can help in coffee picking and transportation to earn a living,” Wambani added.
The director highlighted that the county has 153 registered cooperative societies, each having an average of 3,000 members, with Ng’arisha Teachers Sacco having more than 12,000 members.
“The cooperative sector in Bungoma County is growing, with coffee production yielding Shs1.3 billion,” he remarked, adding that the government has aided the cooperative societies in policy formulation, enhancement of earnings through budgetary allocations, and provision of extension and marketing services to farmers.
Enumerating how the cooperative societies have contributed to development, he said they had helped in infrastructural support and creation of employment opportunities for residents, adding that despite all the achievements, they had faced various challenges, including poor governance due to poor business skills to run the cooperative societies.
“We are aiming to start a cooperative development fund to address some of these challenges and enhance liquidity,” he said.
