By Malachi Motano
The government has blamed unprofessional behaviour by managers of co-operatives for the loss of members’ investments.
Co-operatives Principal Secretary Ali Noor says the inquiries instituted by the department show that in many instances unprofessional behaviour was the reason for loss of investment.
“Unscrupulous persons have used co-operatives to swindle innocent Kenyans out of their hard-earned money but the government is putting in place necessary measures to address the challenge,” said the PS.
He added that the National Co-operative Policy has identified the challenge and recommended enforcement of professional and ethical standards in the sector.
Speaking during a leaders’ conference organized by the Kenya Society of Professional Co-operators (KSPC) in Nairobi the PS urged the organization to manage the problem.
“KSPC should revolutionize the management of co-operatives in the country,” he said.
It is also expected to promote the management of co-operatives professionally by registering and ensuring that members work within professional and ethical standards.
“So far we have registered 150 members. The society also signed an MOU on March 10, 2020 with Kasneb to support it in administering Certified Co-operative Professional (CCOP) examinations,” says KSPC Chairperson Prof Esther Gicheru.
That will give KSPC time to develop the required internal capacity.
Gicheru said they have applied to Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) to register CCOP level 1, CCOP level 2, and CCOP level 3.
“We will commence recruiting students to sit for CCOP exams once we receive the certificates for the registration of the qualifications,” sheadded.
They are in the process of accrediting training institutions to train on established qualifications, with the Co-operative University of Kenya having already applied for evaluation.
Gicheru said once members are registered, they are issued with a membership certificate and annual practicing licenses.
