By Stephen Makabila
Major re-organisation has been carried out at the State Department of Co-operatives following introduction of four positions of Senior Deputy Commissioners after the Commissioner’s office was elongated from Job Group S to T.
The changes which took effect in January this year are the second after an earlier re-organization at the head office by the Principal Secretary (PS), State Department of Co-operatives, Ali Ismail in 2016.
Commissioner for Co-operatives Mary Mungai will now be deputised by four Senior Deputy Commissioners.
Geoffrey Njang’ombe who has been Deputy Director of Audit, has been promoted to Senior Deputy Commissioner in charge of Registration.
Stanley Ongeti who has been a Senior Assistant Commissioner becomes Senior Deputy Commissioner in charge of Policy while Philip Gichuki, a one time Commissioner of Co-operatives, is now the acting Secretary for ECCOS, which is an integrity commission for the Co-operative sector which was under Public Officer Ethics Regulations 2003.
It serves as the responsible commission for officers and employees of co-operative societies
Teddy Etiang was outsourced from the Ministry of Agriculture and brought in as Senior Deputy Commissioner in charge of Finance.
He will head a division mandated to provide an enabling environment through formulation and implementation of policies and guidelines that aim at sustaining financially sound and efficiently managed sacco subsector.
As head of Registration, Njang’ombe will be charged with the responsibility of registration of societies, registration of amendments to by-laws, and charges liquidations and carrying out inquiries and inspections.
Ongeti will oversee ushering in of a new co-operative policy which has already been prepared, and is expected to be handed over to the Cabinet in coming weeks.
The Co-operative Business Model is the best vehicle of mobilizing savings among the poor and the middle class.
The Audit Department under Andrew Mbwi deals with Auditing of Co-operative Societies as provided for under Co-operative Societies, Consultancy Services in Co-operative Taxation, Investigations and Inspections in Co-operative Societies, Audit of Liquidator’s final Accounts and Schemes of distribution, Preparation of list of approved Audit firms to audit Co-operative Societies and Registration of Audited accounts.
The Tribunal is a quasi-judicial body established under the Co-operative Societies Act, No12 of 1997 as amended by the Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Act, 2004.
