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MPs call for stronger protection for SACCOs savings as Amendment Bill comes under scrutiny

Sacco ReviewJuly 1, 202604 mins

Members of the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives have called for the inclusion of stronger safeguards in the proposed Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOs) legislation, saying the law should better protect members’ savings while promoting accountability and efficiency without imposing excessive bureaucratic requirements. The committee, chaired by Bernard Shinali, met…

Parents turn to Saccos as fees top household budget priorities

Sacco ReviewJune 30, 2026June 30, 202604 mins

Education loans surged by 27.1% in Q1 2026, reaching KSh24.81 billion, making school fees the second-largest reason for Sacco borrowing after land and housing. Parents increasingly prefer SACCOs for financing education, attracted by lower interest rates and flexible repayment plans compared to commercial banks. Parents are increasingly relying on Savings and Credit Cooperatives (Saccos) to…

Healthcare loans drive fastest growth in SACCO lending, outpacing housing and education

Sacco ReviewJune 30, 2026June 30, 202604 mins

Healthcare loans recorded the fastest growth among SACCO lending categories, rising 31.03% year-on-year to KSh2.79 billion in March 2026. Overall SACCO lending expanded by 16.23% to KSh115.73 billion, with land and housing remaining the largest recipients, followed by education. Healthcare-related borrowing has emerged as the fastest-growing loan category among Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOs)…

Oparanya urges SASRA to strengthen institutional capacity, embrace technology

Sacco ReviewJune 25, 202604 mins

Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development, Wycliffe Oparanya, has urged the Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA) to strengthen its institutional capacity, embrace technology, and prepare for the proposed expansion of its regulatory mandate to enhance oversight of the cooperative financial sector. Oparanya made the remarks during a Board and…

Gov’t pledges cooperative reforms to safeguard members’ savings, strengthen transparency

Sacco ReviewJune 21, 202604 mins

The government has assured cooperative members that ongoing reforms in the sector are designed to modernise laws, align operations with the Constitution, curb corruption, enforce leadership term limits, and introduce stricter thresholds to protect members’ savings. Speaking during the official opening of Unaitas Sacco Society’s 34th branch in Nyahururu, Laikipia County, Dolphine Aremo, Director for…

SACCO assets surpass Ksh1.2 trillion in first quarter of 2026

Sacco ReviewJune 18, 2026June 18, 202603 mins

SACCO assets exceeded Ksh1.2 trillion following a 12.28 per cent year-on-year increase. Gross loans reached Ksh951 billion, underscoring growing member borrowing and SACCO confidence Land and housing attracted the highest SACCO lending, followed by education and agriculture. By Mercy Kokwon Regulated Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOs) recorded strong growth in the first quarter of…

Government warns against fraudulent Saccos formed ahead of 2027 polls

Sacco ReviewJune 13, 202604 mins

The government has raised alarm over the rising number of Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (Saccos) being registered in the run‑up to the 2027 General Election, warning that many are being formed with the sole intention of defrauding unsuspecting Kenyans. Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and MSMEs Development Wycliffe Oparanya said the ministry will tighten regulations…

SASRA launches case digest to guide Sacco governance and dispute resolution

Sacco ReviewJune 11, 2026June 11, 202605 mins

The Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA) has unveiled first-ever Cooperative Financial and SACCO Law Case Digest to guide Sacco governance and dispute resolution. The digest was launched by the Principal Secretary for the State Department for Cooperatives, Patrick Kilemi, during the 2026 Regulatory Policy and Legal Roundtable for Deposit-Taking SACCO Societies. The publication was developed…

SASRA issues governance ultimatum to NWDT SACCOs

Sacco ReviewJune 11, 202608 mins

Kenya’s cooperative regulator has issued its starkest warning yet to non-withdrawable deposit-taking savings societies, telling their leadership that structural reform and professional governance are no longer optional as the sector steers towards a new legislative framework. The Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA) convened its inaugural Regulatory Round Table for Non-Withdrawable Deposit-Taking (NWDT) SACCOs on April…

Insider loans emerge as new risk for co-operatives

Sacco ReviewJune 11, 202608 mins

Insider loans are emerging as a growing threat to the stability of co-operatives, with recent disclosures showing how senior officials in some savings societies have borrowed heavily against member funds and later defaulted, exposing governance gaps and weak credit risk controls. The concern is now gaining urgency across the sector as new audit findings and…