Uasin Gishu Governor H.E Dr Jonathan Bii has called on the county residents and stakeholders to embrace the Cooperative model as a pathway to building a better future for all.

Addressing cooperative Leaders on Friday during the 1st Eldoret City Cooperative Leaders Convention Forum that was attended by Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and MSMEs Hon Wycliffe Oparanya, the county boss said the forum highlights the vital role that cooperatives play in economic development and community empowerment.

The event themed: Cooperative Build a Better Future For All through Governance and Value Addition, saw hundreds of cooperative Leaders drawn from over 700 societies attend and the best were awarded with various trophies.

“My administration has organized tours and benchmarks for farmers to demonstrate the successes we can achieve through cooperative efforts,” he stated.

He highlighted that 46 milk coolers have been constructed and are now operated by various farmer-cooperatives in the county, showcasing a success story that reflects the collaborative spirit of Uasin Gishu.

He urged the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Cooperative to provide county farmers with coffee pullers to improve their productivity and quality of produce maintaining that there is need to enhance the capacity of local farmers to realize sustainable growth.

On his part, Chief Guest Hon.Oparanya said: “Cooperatives have enabled our economy to grow and have supported Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs),”

Oparanya also spoke about the fundamental principle of cooperatives, which is voluntary collaboration urging cooperative management to prioritize the welfare of members over personal gains, emphasizing the importance of free and fair elections within cooperatives, encouraging members to participate actively in governance.

“Capacity building for members and cooperative leadership is essential to enable informed decision-making. I also call on all cooperatives to embrace ICT to streamline operations and enhance service delivery” he added.

CECM Agriculture Mr. Edward Sawe, while representing his counterpart for Cooperatives Martha Cheruto, echoed the focus on good governance within cooperatives noting that effective governance enables farmers to live decent lives and improve their livelihood prospects.

The event culminated in a call for all farmers in Uasin Gishu to join cooperatives to fully leverage the benefits that come with collective action.

Various top county leadership including County Commissioner Eddyson Nyale CECMs, COs, Directors and staff attended the event.