Kakamega county government boosts cooperative societies with Sh20Million

Kakamega, Sunday, July 2, 2023

KNA by Moses Wekesa

Kakamega County Government channeled Sh20 Million to support activities of 52 Cooperative societies across various value chains during the 2022/2023 Financial Year.

Governor Fernandes Barasa asked the societies that benefited to utilize the funds prudently to support their members.

Speaking during Ushirika Day Celebrations at Bukhungu Stadium, Governor Barasa assured the societies of support by creating a conducive environment for their activities to thrive and also revive the dormant ones.

He said cooperative societies do not operate in a vacuum but thrive if respective industries thrive. As a result, he said, efforts to revive the Mumias Sugar factory will jumpstart the activities of a Sugar Union and 12 Sugar Cooperative Societies that went under with its collapse.

“Similarly, the establishment of Shinyalu Tea Factory will support the County Tea Union and three tea Cooperative Societies of Khwisero, Shinyalu and Ikolomani,” he noted.

The Governor said other Societies like the 10 transport Saccos, 42 cooperative societies in the dairy sector, nine in the fisheries sector and others will equally get support.

“More than ever before, we are seeing the practical and immediate benefit of cooperative societies. Cooperatives are drivers of development and sources of finances to members,” he noted.

He urged the societies to collaborate with the county government through the various line ministries as most of their activities are aligned with part of his six development Agenda.

The County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture Benjamin Andama asked farmers across the county to at least belong to a cooperative society in order to succeed.

“If we don’t really focus on cooperatives, we shall not have a sustainable way of doing things,” he noted, adding that the county government will support the establishment of more cooperative societies at the ward level to reach out to more people.

In 2022, the county government registered a total of 32 new cooperative societies bringing the total number of active ones to 285. The County has a total of 464 registered Cooperative Societies with a population of about 50 000 members and a capital base of Sh 16 Billion.

Courtesy ; K. N. A