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{
"id": 1476873,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1476873/?format=api",
"text_counter": 195,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Cherarkey",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13217,
"legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
"slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
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"content": "That is why I expected, by now, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to tell us who has been eating the money for cooperative societies. They should be arrested and prosecuted. While I appreciate it, we have seen Mumias Sugar Company and other, cooperative societies, outgrowers of sugar cane. Whenever there is a bailout of millions of shillings, where does this money come from? It is you and me who pay taxes to bailout cooperative societies, yet the directors who ‘ate’ the money have stashed their money in the Cayman Islands and in Switzerland, in some tax havens that we do not know in this Republic. I want to thank Sen. Sheikh Omar because the gist of this Bill is to clean up the Bill of cooperative societies as was revised in 2012 and ensure the cooperative societies law is aligned with devolution. I am happy with the introduction of new chapters that have tried to align because a cooperative society is a co-shared function. I know for information, when we talk about apex society, it is a national level. We have cooperative unions which means that its membership is restricted to primary societies. Primary societies mean it is restricted to individuals within the society. All this will ensure there is accountability. I am happy that there will be a county director of cooperatives. Therefore, I agree we need to do a clean-up of legislative interventions in the country because now cooperative societies are in Mashinani. Therefore, the introduction of the County Director of Cooperatives is very critical because issues of agriculture are more devolved and others are SACCO. We know there are Matatu SACCOs in various places like in Kapsabet. However, it is sad to say that Kapsabet Matatu SACCOs which operates between Eldoret- Kapsabet-Chavakali-Vihiga- Kisumu, do not have a good bus terminus. When you go to Kapsabet, it has not been put at a standard. The Governor has refused to ensure that there is a ultra-modern bus terminus within Kapsabet Town. It is sitting next to the Kapsabet Market. Where that market is there are no sanitary facilities, there are no toilets, it is very dirty, there is no electricity, and mama mboga are putting their produce on the ground which endangers our people from communicable diseases. So, the appointment of a cooperative society director of the county is very critical and will ensure the registration of primary societies. I know the region you come from, they have known the secret of SACCO in Matatu, farming, and many others. When you go to the Mount Kenya region, even where Sen. Mundigi, the spokesperson in Mount Kenya East, will tell you there are so many SACCO that belong to tea and coffee farmers. Those regions that have SACCOs, especially people from Mount Kenya, have known the essence and the importance of SACCOs. That is why they are able. We used to have Sirgoek Cooperative Society. When you go to Eldoret Town, the wazees that started it 40, 50 years ago, own serious buildings. Even our communities from the northern part of Kenya and even the Indian community, normally run generational wealth at a level like the SACCO. For example, the Cooperative Bank of Kenya started as a society and transited to a bank. I think that is very important. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}