Management of Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOs) in Embu County has been challenged to deliberately target young people in their recruitment and marketing campaigns, with the aim of fostering a culture of long-term saving and investment.
It was further suggested that SACCO marketing initiatives be integrated into the education system, with experts visiting secondary schools, middle-level colleges, and universities to encourage youth participation in the cooperative movement.
Former civil servants and small-scale businesspeople from across Embu County emphasized that SACCOs remain key drivers of regional economic independence. They noted that many Kenyans have benefited from SACCO loans to fund their secondary and tertiary education, underscoring the importance of involving the youth in sustaining the movement.
The stakeholders argued that failure to directly target young people in recruitment and marketing strategies has left a significant proportion of income-earning youth outside the cooperative sector.
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Led by retired prisons officer and mid-scale farmer John Njiru from Kiamuringa, the group called for a review of marketing approaches across SACCOs in Embu County. They recommended targeting youth through the recruitment of self-help groups into SACCO membership.
Njiru observed that despite the informal and sometimes disorganized nature of the boda boda sector, intensified efforts to educate and recruit its operators into SACCOs could channel their substantial daily earnings into structured savings and investment.
He criticized current SACCO marketing strategies as outdated and rigid, noting that they rely heavily on formal meetings instead of engaging young people through platforms they prefer, such as sports events, entertainment spaces, and social media.
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According to Njiru, young people across Kenya earn reasonable incomes, but there is a need to instill a savings culture, particularly through non-withdrawable, growth-oriented funds offered by SACCOs.
He further pointed out that Embu County hosts high-income activities such as the muguka trade, which is largely dominated by youth. However, much of the income generated is spent rather than saved or invested.
Njiru lamented that only a few muguka traders are members of SACCOs or participate in secure savings schemes, limiting their long-term financial stability. He warned that the industry creates a false sense of financial security due to its reliance on daily sales.
As a result, he noted an increasing number of traders in areas such as Mbeere North and South whose businesses collapse due to lack of financial planning and access to SACCO-backed credit facilities.
Njiru also criticized leading SACCOs in Embu County for failing to actively recruit women and youth self-help groups, which could benefit from safer savings options and improved access to long-term loans.
Additionally, he raised concerns about some cooperative movement experts who charge fees to educate the public on joining SACCOs, discouraging many potential members who perceive such efforts as exploitative.
By Robert Nyagah
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