GROWTH
Future of Co-operatives is Uncertain due to Succession Structures That Leave the Youth Behind By Malachi Motano
old. Unfortunately, their representation at the board of directors, supervisory committees and other prominent positions, is very low.
S
avings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOS), must demystify the old belief and perception that Saccos are projects of the elderly, hence can’t entrust young people with key positions.
Those offices are occupied mostly by the over 40 year olds, who still believe that Sacco membership, is composed of older people, with no place for the youth.
Its unfortunate that while young people form, almost a third of the membership, of Saccos, they remain vulnerable when it comes to occupying major offices. According to the Sacco Society Regulatory Authority (SASRA), about 30.86% of the Sacco Membership, are aged between 18 and 35 years. This demonstrates that Saccos are not only for the
42
Nandi County Youth Bunge SACCO
SACCO TIMES | OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2020
The Sacco board is charged with the responsibility of making important decisions, which include coming up with new products and services, levels of dividends and the general running of Saccos; which implies that they highly determine the performance of Co-operatives. Most young people don’t have much in terms of investments,
which make them not to actively get involved in the management. Its rare to find the youth in Saccos with agricultural bonds like sugarcane, coffee and tea owning plantations, therefore cannot rise to the management. The situation is replicated, in the Saccos that peg management on shares or level of savings, which in most cases knock-out young people. Unless Saccos revise the clauses, that technically knockout young people, from holding key offices, lack of sufficient representation, puts the Sacco movement at a risk of succession, when old leaders finally leave the offices, without properly grooming new young people.
