A loan of Ksh6 million from Imarika Sacco Limited turned around the life of a retired Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) official Mwalimu Rasi, who is now living off the benefits accrued from the investments he made.
Several consistent loans and repayments built his creditworthiness to a point he could borrow a huge sum, which he used to implement his personal development projects, as well as educate his three children up to university.
Being deeply rooted in agriculture, he quickly settled into farming after expanding his capacity using the loan. He is a mixed farmer with livestock and poultry being his major specialty. He is still an active member of Imarika Sacco and is currently a director at Kilifi Teachers Enterprise Limited in Kilifi town.
He used the same loan to build rental houses on land he had already purchased using another loan. He also built his retirement home in Kilifi town.
The rental houses are spread across many places like Vipingo, Mtwapa, Kaloleni, Kikambala, and mferejini at his rural home.
Rasi holds a Diploma in Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) from Mezborn Teachers Training College, a private institution at Mtwapa.
Born in 1956 at Kwa Kuruja village, Shauri Moyo area in Kilifi South Sub-county, he advises people to join Saccos as a way of making their lives better.
Speaking to Education News at his Kilifi town residence, he said he would not be where he is now, were it not for the loans he took.
He joined Shauri Moyo Junior Primary School in 1964, later proceeding to St. Mary’s Seminary Secondary, Kwale, where he sat his East African Examination Council (EAEC) exam in 1976.
1977 was the year he first entered the teaching profession as an untrained teacher at Mbuyuni Primary School, Mwaryakaya location in his native Kilifi South.
He then left briefly to train as a P1 teacher at Kericho Teachers Training College, graduating in 1981 and posted to Mwanguto Primary School in Rabai Sub-county.
In 1987, he was promoted to deputy head teacher and was posted to Katikirieni Primary School in Chonyi Division.
In January 1990, he was further promoted to head teacher and taken to Tsanzuni Primary School in Ganze Sub-county, where he worked until 1992 when he took a stab at politics, vying for the KNUT Kilifi branch Executive Secretary after the office holder Joseph Kahindi Kingi was elected Ganze MP but lost to Kittu Gwegwele.
Not one to give up, he contested again for the same post and won in 2006, retaining the seat in subsequent elections until 2016 when he retired after attaining the retirement age of 60.
While working as head teacher of Mariakani Primary School, Rasi reveals that he served at Kilifi District Examination Board between 2003 and 2006.
During the same period, he also served as Kenya Primary School Heads Association (KEPSHA) Treasurer for Kaloleni Division (now Kaloleni Sub-county).
And while in KNUT, he further discloses that he was automatically appointed Board member of the Kilifi District Education Board (DEB) for the 11-year stint, representing Ganze, Bahari and Kaloleni divisions.
He also served as a member of Bahari Constituency Development Fund (CDF) from 2006 to 2014. During the same period, he was in the Ministry of Education Bursary Committee for the three divisions.
Outside politics, Rasi is the chairman of St. Paul Catholic Church Kikaambala Parish, a Board member of several Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and chairman of BUNGE La Wananchi (Citizen Forum) of Mtepeni Ward, Mbari ya Gamba Clan, Achonyi Council of Elders, Amidzi Council of Elders, and Climate Change Committee of Mtepeni ward.
By Tsozungu Kombe
Get more stories from our website: Sacco Review
Kindly follow us via our social media pages on Facebook: Sacco Review Newspaper for timely updates.
