CS Peter Munya to expedite the passage of the Cooperative Bill 2021

22 December, 2021

The CS for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Cooperatives, Peter Munya, has committed to expedite the passage of the Cooperative Bill 2021.

The CS committed to set up a technical committee to come up with rules that would be necessary for the bill's implementation once enacted at a three-day sensitization seminar for cooperative leadership on the Bill in Maasai Mara, Narok county.

The CS congratulated the leaders for unanimously approving the new Bill, which he said will address significant difficulties in the industry by introducing strong governance and creating a regulatory framework that will assist the sector grow.

Cooperative leaders have been debating what the New Cooperative Bill would comprise and how it will operate once it is enacted after modifications to the Co-operatives Act, Cap 490, which has been in place for over 15 years. The Commissioner of Cooperatives, David Obonyo, stated that now that the process has been finished and approved, the leaders have a better understanding of the Bill and will be able to execute it smoothly once it is adopted.

Registration of cooperatives is one of the key issues addressed in the Bill, according to Munya, who noted that for any cooperative to be registered at the moment, the process must originate from the respective County Government, which will ensure due diligence before recommending them to the Commissioner for issuance of a certificate.

"The Commissioner's participation in the registration will be limited to ensuring that the application and bylaws comply with the Cooperative Societies Act and its provisions, and then issuing a Certificate of Registration."