By Our Reporter
Co-operatives societies will have to wait until next year to hold Ushirika Day celebrations as the rising cases of Covid-19 forced organizers to call off the event.
The event, part of the United Nations’ (UN) International Day of Co-operatives, was set for July 4, 2020, but the continued state ban on large public gathering has made it impossible for the event to take place.
The chairman of National council for Ushirika Day Celebrations Japhet Magomere has written to all co-operative societies and county co-operative commissioners informing them of the cancellation.
“The Council in its recent sitting has re-evaluated its earlier decision to undertake the adjudication exercise owing to the unpredictability and widespread impact of Covid-19 on the economy and business in general”, said Mr Magomere
“In this regard, the Council has decided to suspend the 2020 Adjudication exercise until next year,” Mr. Magomore.
The day has served to strengthen and extend partnerships between the international cooperative movement and other supporting organizations including governments.
A circular seen by the SACCO Review shows that the Council sent apologies to Co-operatives which had already made submissions for the awards.
Those who had also paid for the event will be reimbursed. The budget for the event is usually above Sh20 million, as per the spending in the recent years.
“We thus wish to express our apologies for the inconvenience caused and more so if you had already made your adjudication submissions. The Council will seek to refund payments already made towards Ushirika Day,” stated Mr Magomere.
Traditionally, co-operatives have been contributing towards Ushirika Day budget based on their annual turnovers. For instance, Harambee Sacco in 2018 paid Sh. 823,000 towards the fete in contrast with Sh. 3.71 million in previous year.
This budget is used to meet publicity and hospitality, sports events, adjudication activities countrywide among other activities.
UN designated the first Saturday of July each year to celebrate co-operatives. This year’s theme was ‘Co-operatives for Climate Action.’
Ushirika Day is usually a key event for Co-operatives across the world, with Kenya choosing to celebrate it across the counties. Last year, Kenya marked the 97th Ushirika Day led by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The cancellation will see Co-operatives wait longer to know the new champions in various categories.
Ushirika Council and Co-operative Alliance of Kenya, the organisers of the event, usually consider the following areas to award various co-operatives; overall institution management, capitalization, saving management, credit management, efficiency, risk management, technology optimization and improvement.
The year to June 2020 has been eventful for the co-operatives movement given the Covid-19 disruption that set in on 13th March 2020.
This may be a truth-meter for co-operatives angling for award such as credit management, efficiency, risk management and technology optimization.
Winners usually bag certificates and trophies in a gala dinner, which is usually an evening event that wraps up all the events that come with Ushirika Day fete.
The cancellation of Ushirika fete also deals a blow to key activities that usually precede the main event.
The movement has traditionally held leaders’ forum to launch pre-Ushirika Day activities such as mobilizing blood donations and bringing people together through the Co-operative Sports and family fun activities.
The co-operatives movement profile has been growing in the country as members mobilise savings to support each other through affordable loans.
Since December 2016, President Uhuru Kenyatta has shown keen interest in the welfare of the co-operative sector, especially after he hosted co-operative leaders at State-House Nairobi.
The President last year recognized co-operatives as one of the key partners in the realization of the Big 4 agenda that focuses on affordable housing, food, security, universal healthcare and revamped manufacturing.
He said Co-operatives are an ideal vehicle to provide at least quarter of the 500,000 new houses required across the country.
The Co-operative Movement in Kenya features over 23,000 registered co-operative societies and commands a membership of over 14 million people.
Co-operatives in Kenya have mobilized members’ savings and deposits of over Sh732 billion and feature an asset base of about Sh1 trillion.
The movement boasts of a loan portfolio of over Sh700 billion, showing the crucial role it plays in empowering members and their households.
Co-operatives in Kenya directly employ more than 300,000 people, a number that is only conservative, President Kenyatta said during last year’s Ushirika Day address.
“Indeed, by even the most conservative of estimates, a full two-thirds of all Kenyans can directly or indirectly earn a living from the Co-operative Sector,” said Mr Kenyatta.
