Nairobi: Embu County Government has initiated plans to collaborate with the Cooperative University of Kenya (CUK) to bolster the cooperative movement within the county.
According to Kenya News Agency, the partnership aims to focus on capacity building and leadership training for cooperative officials and farmers, enhancing governance within the sector. John Nyaga, the County Executive Committee (CEC) member for Agriculture, Livestock, and Cooperative Development, highlighted that poor leadership has been a major challenge for the 339 registered Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs) in the county, resulting in mismanagement and potential collapse.
Nyaga, after a meeting with CUK officials, announced plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) within a month, which will initiate the training program. He emphasized the need for capacity building among SACCO management teams to address leadership gaps, improve efficiency, transparency, and fiscal discipline, ultimately transforming SACCOs into stable financial institutions capable of driving the local economy.
The CEC further explained that training cooperative members in financial literacy is crucial for holding leaders accountable, fostering a savings culture, and promoting prudent income spending. He also stressed the importance of training SACCOs in investment to evolve them from mere savings institutions to investment powerhouses. Additionally, the partnership aims to upgrade SACCO technology, transitioning them from manual operations to digital platforms, including mobile and agency banking, to facilitate remote transactions.
Chris Kathoka, University Registrar in charge of Finance, Planning, and Administration, noted the lack of skills among some cooperative leaders and emphasized the university’s role in building capacity and exploring other areas such as value addition and product aggregation for farmers. Prof. Lucy Kiganane, Dean of the School of Business and Economics at the university, affirmed their commitment to assisting cooperative leaders, officers, and members in running productive cooperative movements in Embu County, similar to successful partnerships in other counties.
