Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has called for the deepening of ongoing reforms in Kenya’s cooperative movement, saying the changes are aimed at building institutions that are more transparent, better governed and technology-driven, as the country marked the 104th National Ushirika Day celebrations in Nairobi on Saturday.
Speaking during the event, Kindiki said the sector remains one of the most successful in the world, pointing to its 14 million members, 8 million of whom belong to Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs) holding a combined savings portfolio of over one trillion shillings.
“Kenya has one of the most successful cooperative sectors worldwide,” Kindiki said, adding that cooperatives “enable pooling of resources and sharing of risk to build enterprise and create wealth.”
The Deputy President said the government’s reform agenda is designed to produce financially resilient institutions capable of driving Kenya’s economic transformation.
“The Government is implementing reforms to create more transparent, better governed, and professionally run, financially resilient and technology driven institutions,” he said, noting that the vision is to make cooperatives “stronger drivers of Kenya’s economic transformation into the future.”
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This year’s celebrations, held under the global theme “Cooperatives for a Peaceful World,” brought together cooperative leaders, government officials and members drawn from SACCOs, farmer cooperatives, transport groups and savings societies across the country. The event began with a procession from the Kenya Planters Co-operative Union (KPCU) grounds to Uhuru Park, where the main ceremony was held.
Cooperative Alliance of Kenya (CAK) Chief Executive Officer Daniel Marube, speaking ahead of the celebrations, said this year’s theme underscored the role cooperatives play in fostering peace, economic resilience and sustainable development, particularly as the country moves toward the 2027 General Election. “Peace is not merely an aspiration for cooperatives; it is a prerequisite for economic growth and prosperity,” Marube said, urging Kenyans to embrace peaceful coexistence.
The reforms referenced by the Deputy President come as the sector continues to grapple with governance and liquidity challenges in some cooperative societies, alongside a broader push by the Ministry of Cooperatives and MSMEs to strengthen regulatory oversight of SACCOs and other cooperative institutions nationwide.
Ushirika Day is marked annually to recognise the contribution of the cooperative movement to Kenya’s economy.
By Masaki Enock
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