The County Government of Uasin Gishu has pledged continued support to cooperative societies, promising increased funding, capacity-building initiatives, and a stronger push for value addition.
Speaking during the 103rd International Cooperatives Day celebrations held on Saturday, Deputy Governor H.E. Evans Kapkea, on behalf of Governor Dr. Jonathan Bii highlighted the county’s commitment to growing the cooperative movement under the global theme “Cooperatives: Driving Inclusive and Sustainable Solutions for a Better World.”
Kapkea announced plans to double the County Enterprise Development Fund (CEDF) loan ceiling from KSh 5 million to KSh 10 million, urging beneficiaries to prioritize loan repayment to ensure revolving access to others.
“We are mobilizing all farmers to join cooperatives because these are the vehicles through which we can achieve economic transformation,” he said.
According to Kapkea, the county has registered 69 new cooperatives, revived 32 dormant ones, and trained over 12,000 cooperative leaders and 40,000 members in recent months.
On value addition, the Deputy Governor pointed to the ongoing construction of the County Aggregation and Industrial Park (CAIP) as a game-changer, aimed at supporting cooperative-led industrialization. He also noted the recent distribution of one million coffee seedlings as part of a diversification and agro-industrial take-off strategy.
County Assembly Committee Chair for Cooperatives and Enterprises, Hon. Hillary Kipchumba challenged members to use the occasion to reflect and network on areas of improvement. He emphasized the importance of youth inclusion, particularly in technology adoption and leadership succession.
“We have eight cooperative unions. Let’s make use of them to grow our local economy. Youth involvement is critical for innovation and sustainability,” said Kipchumba.
Cooperatives Chief Officer Ruth Samoei called on societies to take the lead in developing sector-specific solutions, saying cooperatives are best placed to identify grassroots challenges and drive localized impact.
Uasin Gishu currently has over 145,000 registered cooperative members, more than 800 primary cooperatives, and eight unions—the most recent being the coffee growers’ union.
Present at the event were Sergoit MCA Hon. David Keitany, Director of Cooperatives Drucilla Cherogony, Cooperative Audit Director Samuel Wambugu, Director of Trade Dr. Shadrack Morogo and Irene Malel of the Administration and Trade Department.
