Elgeyo Marakwet County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Cooperatives, Trade, Industrialization, Tourism and Wildlife Robert Kangogo has hailed cooperative societies for their pivotal role in transforming lives in communities.
Speaking during the regional Ushirika Day celebrations at Iten grounds, the CECM said the sector was in tandem with the national government’s bottom up economic transformation agenda.
While extolling major strides by Elgeyo Marakwet County in uplifting the sector, Kangogo cited the need for cooperative societies to have the trust of members in the daily running of their activities.
He urged farmers to join cooperative societies, form unions and federations to negotiate for good prices of their produce, certified seeds and ready markets.
County Development Cooperative Officer David Kiprono called on the county government to support cooperative societies to improve livelihoods of their members.
He lauded Hanse Agrostore International for setting up huge storage facilities to preserve potatoes across the county.
During the event, Prime Time Sacco and Elmaco Saccos were feted as the best Saccos with digitized records while Youth Bunge Sacco and Sochem Women Sacco managed to take awards for being the best rural Saccos digitizing their records.
Kapkenda and Prime Time Saccos were awarded best urban Saccos while Sochem Women Sacco and Kerio Prestige Matatu Sacco were feted as the best Rural Saccos with highest dividends payout of of 9 % and 8% respectively.
Kerio Prestige Sacco and Nyaru Express Sacco were awarded as matatu Saccos with digitized records with Elmaco was feted for being the first society to comply with audited report and Annual General Meeting.
Kamet Union and Kapteren /Kapkoi Farmers Cooperative societies were hailed for their role in record keeping.
Kapchemutwa Farmers Cooperative Society and Kapteren were this year’s winners with the highest rate of payment to members for their produce at Ksh60 and Ksh45 per kilogram respectively.
Top savers in all Saccos were also feted.
By Alfred Kimosop
