By Erick Nyayiera
Calls for the establishment of a Cooperative training institute dominated the Kisumu County Ushirika Day celebrations as various rural Saccos underscored its importance in helping improve the performance of the sector.
Kisumu County Ushirika chairman Edward Matoke, while addressing the celebrations, noted that the institute will be pivotal in training of Sacco officials on best management practices, including prudent financial management.
The chairman therefore appealed to both the County Government of Kisumu and the national government to consider establishing it to help train the many Saccos in the entire Nyanza region.
“Kisumu County’s potential for cooperative development cuts across all the sectors of the economy and they have proven more resilient to crises than the average. They foster economic participation, generate good jobs, contribute to food security, keep financial capital within local communities and improve people’s material conditions. When we have the Cooperative school in Kisumu, all our Saccos will get the necessary capacity-building tools for their members,” Matoke stated.
The Ushirika Chair regretted that a lot of county-based Saccos have since folded owing to mismanagement.
“Mine therefore is a passionate appeal to the national leadership and the County Government of Kisumu to fast-track the establishment of the institute to help advance the Cooperative agenda in this region,” Matoke appealed.
The chairman, while acknowledging the enormous input the giant Saccos have on the county’s economy, also appreciated the urban and rural Saccos for their tireless work in improving the livelihoods of their members.
He advised the various Cooperatives to ensure a workable and practical financing programme for members’ provident needs that will ensure they promptly liquidate all their current borrowings.
“We have seen a rise in Matatu Saccos over the years in Kisumu County. We can only encourage our transport Saccos to not only rush to meet the regulations for continuity of their ventures, but also work towards developing a pool of resources to help them access affordable credit,” Matoke advised.
On the Cooperative policy, Matoke said they have expectations in the new policy paper by the County Government of Kisumu, noting that it will address the issue of providing cheaper credit to Societies for their prosperity.
“We also need a kit that will assist dormant co-operatives societies run by the county government as we move forward. As a movement we remain committed that together we can have a better future for development and stability,” observed the chairman.
County Co-operative Director Susan Kanga regretted that most cooperative societies in Luo Nyanza had collapsed due to mismanagement and the remaining have become empty shells.
“While we appreciate the paradigm shift with regards to how Saccos have been performing better over the past few years, we still have more dormant Saccos. The county records show that we have 1,385 registered co-operative societies while we can only trace 400 of which only 100 are active,” Kanga regretted.
She revealed that in the last financial year, only 30 Saccos managed to successfully provide audited books of accounts, noting that a lot still needs to be done in capacity building of the various Cooperative units on the crucial matter of prudent financial management.
She also revealed that her office was at advanced stages to formulate a model for boda boda units that will link them to Saccos and Cooperative Bank of Kenya for nurture since the sector plays a pivotal role in the county’s economic agenda.
In the celebrations, Keystone Sacco (formerly KITE) and Agro-Chemical Sacco in Muhoroni Sub- county were named the best managed and innovative urban Saccos in Kisumu County.
Nyando Modern Sacco and Gakwamba Sacco were feted as the best marketing cooperative societies in the county.
The most improved urban Saccos went to Kobos Sacco and Kiwasco Sacco while Kajulu Dairy Sacco, Dunga Fisheries Sacco and Seke Farmers were named most improved marketing co-operatives.
MADEC Sacco and Sondu Kivuli Sacco were the best rural Saccos.
