The Senate Standing Committee on Trade, Industrialization, and Tourism/photo courtesy

Senate committee reviews submission on Cooperative Bill 2024

The Senate Committee on Trade, industrialization and Tourism convened on Tuesday to review additional submissions by Ministry of Cooperative and MSMEs on the Cooperative Bill 2024. The bill seeks to provide a comprehensive legal framework for the registration, governance, and oversight of cooperative societies, with the objective of enhancing their sustainability, competitiveness, and contribution to…

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Special Funds Accounts committee as chairperson Fatuma Zainab/photo courtesy

Cooperative funds face legitimacy questions as MPs demand audit clarity

The legitimacy of two key cooperative sector funds has come under parliamentary scrutiny, with Members of Parliament (MPs) demanding urgent reforms and full disclosure from the State Department for Co-operatives. The Special Funds Accounts Committee, chaired by Migori MP Fatuma Zainab, has directed the department to submit all outstanding audit documents to the Office of…

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The National Assembly/photo courtesy

President Ruto refers Pensions (Amendment) Bill back to parliament for reconsideration

President William Ruto has referred the Pensions (Amendment) Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 44 of 2022) back to the National Assembly for reconsideration in line with Article 115 of the Constitution. The Bill, which was sponsored by Kimilili Member of Parliament Didmus Barasa seeks to amend the Pensions Act (Cap 189) to provide statutory timelines…

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Principal Secretary Susan Mang’eni/photo courtesy

Committee on Cooperatives question PS over delay in rollout of Nyota program

Members of the National Assembly Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives have questioned the delay in rolling out the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme. The programme would have seen 70 Youths in all the wards in the country receive a grant of Sh50, 000 to either start or expand business. The MPs led…

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Narok Senator Ledama Olekina/photo courtesy

Senate proposes fast-tract of Seeds and Plant Varieties Bill to boost climate-resilient farming

The Senate has proposes fast-tracking of a bill that will enable farmers to benefit from quicker access to drought-tolerant and climate-smart seed varieties, a new legislative proposal aimed at reforming the country’s seed approval system. The Seeds and Plant Varieties (Amendment) Bill, 2025 sponsored by Narok Senator Ledama Olekina, seeks to establish a parallel registration…

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1 / 1 – Murang'a Famers Co-operative Union Chairman Francis Ngone speaking to journalists after the meeting./photo file

Coffee farmers oppose Direct Payment System amid government directives

The government has accelerated coffee reforms, focusing on diverting payment points to the Direct Settlement System (DSS), which has met strong resistance. President William Ruto, during his Mt. Kenya Development tour two months ago, stirred controversy when he announced that from June, coffee proceeds would be remitted directly to farmers, bypassing cooperative society management committees….

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Kirinyaga County Coffee farmers/photo courtesy

Kirinyaga coffee farmers win first round in DSS legal battle

The battle between Kirinyaga county coffee farmers and the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE) is now in the corridors of justice, as the high court extended conservatory orders barring the implementation of the Direct Settlement System (DSS) and new reforms in the coffee sector until July 28, 2025. The Cooperative Bank that operates the DSS also…

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Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya during the second edition of the Annual SME Conference/photo file

Govt, Equity Bank unveil bold reforms to propel SME growth

In a bid to bolster Kenya’s economy, the government through the Ministry of Cooperatives and MSMEs Development has joined forces with Equity Bank to support Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in accessing capital, expanding markets, and building institutional capacity. Speaking at the second edition of the Annual SME Conference, Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya emphasized that…

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Co-operatives and MSMEs Development CS Wycliffe Oparanya/photo file

Oparanya unveils bold SACCO reforms after Ksh 13B scandal

Co-operatives and MSMEs Development CS Wycliffe Oparanya stood before SACCO leaders at Kenya Union of Savings and Credit Co-operatives (KUSCCO).on 23 June, 2025, and delivered an upbeat progress report on the sector clean-up launched after the KSh 13 billion KUSCCO scandal. He said investigative files have been handed over for prosecution and promised that “every…

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Sacco members following proceedings/photo file

Gender equity milestone triumphs in cooperatives, as NCGP completes validation process

In a landmark achievement for gender equity and inclusivity, the National Cooperative Gender Platform (NCGP) has successfully completed its validation process, marking a significant milestone in the cooperative sector. This development, announced recently, underscores a growing commitment to ensuring that cooperatives—long celebrated for their democratic and community-driven ethos—become equal playing fields for all genders. The…

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