FinAccess Survey: Kirinyaga Leads Nation in Sacco Uptake, Trailing Counties Revealed

• How Kenyans access SACCO services across counties: Kirinyaga County leads with 35.6% of adults accessing SACCOs.
   Mandera County has the lowest access, at 0.1%.

  Source: The 2024 FinAccess Household Survey

A report has laid bare the stark regional inequalities in Kenya’s cooperative sector, revealing a massive divide between the country’s agricultural heartlands and its frontier counties.

The 2024 FinAccess Household Survey reveals that while Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs) remain a dominant financial force in Central Kenya and parts of the Rift Valley, vast portions of the country remain critically underserved.

Where Usage is Highest

According to the data, Kirinyaga County has emerged as the undisputed national leader in cooperative uptake. With an impressive 35.6% accessibility rate, more than one in three adults in the county utilize Sacco services.

Kirinyaga is followed closely by a cluster of counties defined by robust agricultural economies and deep-seated cooperative cultures:

• Bomet: 30.5%
• Embu: 28.3%
• Tharaka Nithi: 28.0%
• Kericho: 26.0%
• Nyeri: 23.0%

These figures highlight a correlation between tea, coffee, and dairy farming zones and high financial inclusion through cooperatives. In these regions, SACCOs are not just financial institutions; they are firmly rooted in the local social structure, serving as the primary lifeline for farmers seeking affordable credit and savings mechanisms.

In sharp contrast, the report highlights an urgent need for targeted expansion strategies in the North Eastern and Coastal regions.

Mandera County recorded the lowest penetration rate in the country at 0.1%, indicating that cooperative services are virtually non-existent for the local population. The situation is similar in neighboring counties, with Garissa (0.9%) and Wajir (1.3%) also posting rates below two percent.

These low figures reflect deep systemic challenges, including sparse population distribution, significant infrastructure gaps, and the long travel distances required to access physical financial centers.

The survey paints a picture of a “two-speed” sector. While Nairobi City shows a healthy usage rate of 15.6%, other populous regions show surprising room for growth.

Contradicting the assumption that cooperatives are equally dominant nationwide, the data show that usage in Western and Nyanza regions is lower than Central/Rift regions. For instance, Kakamega (3.3%), Kisumu (5.6%), and Migori (3%) all recorded single-digit accessibility rates, suggesting a massive untapped market for SACCOs willing to expand into these territories.

The disparity between Kirinyaga (35.6%) and Mandera (0.1%) underscores that financial inequality in Kenya is often geographic.

Data Snapshot: Top & Bottom 5 Counties

Source: The 2024 FinAccess Household Survey