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{
    "id": 863356,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/863356/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 234,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Makueni, WDM-K",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Daniel Maanzo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2197,
        "legal_name": "Daniel Kitonga Maanzo",
        "slug": "daniel-kitonga-maanzo"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to support this very important amendment of the Cooperative Societies Act. I must declare my interest. At one point in time, I was an administrative secretary in the Ministry of Cooperatives. I am familiar with most of the matters in the cooperative movement. In fact, that was when we started preparing amendments to align several statutes in the country with the new Constitution. In the old Constitution, the title “Minister” was used. We now use “Cabinet Secretary” in its place. That is part of the amendments that have been proposed in this Bill. Most important was an amendment to include use of information technology. With this, the amendment is clear. It leaves it optional to SACCOs because, first, it is an extra expense to the members. Secondly, some places will not be able to achieve this immediately while other SACCOs, like those within the city, will. It is true that the cooperative movement has 14 million members in the country. At any given point, it has serious savings of close to Kshs300 billion. The properties owned by SACCOs, including ours – because we have a parliamentary SACCO and Bunge SACCO – are worth Kshs1 trillion. Three quarters of the buildings you see in the city of Nairobi and many other cities are actually owned by SACCOs. Therefore, the cooperative movement, which has more than 14 million members, is a serious movement. The Cooperative Societies Act deserves serious amendments to align it with modern times. However, at the same time, it is good to note with concern that there have been a lot of amendments suggested without even considering the Cooperative Movement Development Policy, which should first come to this House. Once we have the Cooperative Movement Development Policy, we will be able to align the laws with that policy. Therefore, consultations are very important. Recently, we had an exchange in this House where the Cabinet Secretary for Industry, Trade and Cooperatives appeared before a Committee and disowned amendments in the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill. There was a Bill where the Constitution was being amended to create discrimination in the classes of individuals participating in the cooperative movement. The idea is to align this Bill with the Constitution. All amendments should be prosecuted once, so that Kenyans can participate and belong to the cooperative movement at their free will."
}