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{
"id": 1046260,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1046260/?format=api",
"text_counter": 251,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Zani",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13119,
"legal_name": "Agnes Zani",
"slug": "agnes-zani"
},
"content": "These challenges delve into matters of management within those cooperative societies. To date, there are about 23 registered cooperative societies, with a membership of 14 million. Those are very many Kenyans trusting co-operative societies. They hold Ksh732 billion of members’ savings, and control an asset base of Kshs1 trillion, and a Kshs700 billion loan portfolio. Societies have evolved overtime. We have deposit-taking and non-deposit-taking societies. We have a hierarchy of societies. For example, we have Apex Societies, Secondary Societies, and Primary Societies, all serving different members in different ways. Apex Societies tend to be major and operate at a national level whereas primary societies tend to operate within community levels. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, there is a lot of potential for co-operative societies and different groups who aim to come together to bring about better co-operative movement that need to be tapped. We have an Act that is already in place that governs co-operative societies. This particular Act came into being in 1997, way before the Constitution of Kenya 2010. Therefore, it is important because co-operative societies is one of the devolved functions under Schedule IV of the Constitution. However, so far, we do not have a legislative mechanism of enhancing the management and operation of co-operative societies at the county levels. This is what this Bill seeks to do. It actually seeks to amend the Co-operative Societies Act No. 12 of 1997, so as to align it to the Constitution of Kenya 2010. One of the best ways that it does this is by setting out national functions and also county functions that should be followed through. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this Act is very important because it summarizes most of the issues within the co-operative societies. I just want to take you through some of the issues that the Act deals with because this is an Amendment Bill. Apart from differentiating the structures at the national and county level, most of the issues that are already addressed by the Act remain the same. Basically, by creating a national structure, which is already in place, that is controlled and supported by a commissioner, we are seeking to create an alternative structure at the county level where the County Executive Committee (CECM) Member is able to run some of the key issues. In effect, we are not changing the basis of the Act. The Co-operative Societies Act as perceived and as stipulated in 1997 is not drastically changed by this proposed Bill, but it actually tries to ensure that that differentiation and that a more active role can be put out at the county level. That is very critical. I just want to go through some of the parts that are covered by that Act, so that we have a feeling about exactly what this Bill is talking about because when you go through the Bill, being an amendment Bill, it keeps referring to the various sections in the particular Act and therefore, we need to just have a good idea of what this could be. PART 2 of the Act talks about officers, commissioners, and various offices. Part 3 is about the registration of co-operative societies including the procedures, amendment of any of the bylaws and issues of evidence of registration. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, in the Act, each of these details of what should be done and how it should be done is well stipulated. For example, if it is evidence of registration, then the co-operative society has to give the necessary documentation to The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}