Kenya’s status as a continental powerhouse in the cooperative movement was on full display this week as Mombasa hosted over 250 global and regional SACCO leaders for the 8th Annual Eastern Bloc Regional Forum.
The high-level summit, organized by the African Confederation of Cooperative Savings and Credit Associations (ACCOSCA) in partnership with the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), brought together delegates from 13 countries to chart a new path for financial inclusion and regulatory reform.
Coming at a time when Kenyan SACCOs are navigating a tightening regulatory environment, the forum focused on governance, institutional resilience, and the urgent need for “proportional” laws that protect members without stifling innovation.
“This is a defining moment for collaboration across the cooperative movement,” said Michael Lawrence, Board Chair of WOCCU, during the opening sessions. “The progress we are seeing across Africa, and specifically here in Kenya, shows what is possible when institutions work together to build trust and expand financial access to the grassroots.”
Push for Better Laws
A major talking point at the Mombasa gathering was the role of advocacy. With the Kenyan government recently showing increased interest in the oversight of the multi-billion-shilling sector, global experts warned that SACCOs must have a seat at the table when financial laws are drafted.
“Advocacy is no longer optional; it is essential,” said Paul Andrews, WOCCU Vice President of International Advocacy. “As regulatory environments evolve, SACCOs must be actively engaged to ensure frameworks support both financial stability and financial inclusion.”
Paul Treinen, President and CEO of WOCCU, echoed these sentiments, noting that if cooperative leaders do not speak up, “rules will be written without us.” He emphasized that regulations must be “proportional”—meaning they should recognize the unique, member-owned nature of SACCOs compared to traditional commercial banks.
Global Leaders Benchmarking at Stima, Police SACCOs
In a move that highlights the maturity of the Kenyan cooperative sector, the WOCCU Board of Directors and international delegates conducted site visits to two of the country’s most successful institutions: Stima SACCO and Police SACCO in Mombasa.
The visits allowed the global leaders to witness firsthand how Kenyan SACCOs have digitized their services and expanded their product offerings to meet the diverse needs of their members. The delegates praised the Kenyan model for its deep community roots and its role in driving inclusive economic growth—a model that many other African nations are now looking to emulate.
Regional Integration
The forum also served as a platform for peer learning, with leaders from across the Eastern Bloc sharing strategies on how to survive global economic shocks and high inflation.
For Kenya, hosting the ACCOSCA forum reinforces the country’s role as the “big brother” of the African cooperative movement. With the SACCO sector being a critical pillar of the government’s bottom-up economic agenda, the resolutions from the Mombasa meeting are expected to influence policy discussions between the Ministry of Co-operatives and industry players in the coming months.
The event concluded with a renewed commitment to cross-border collaboration, ensuring that the “Power of the Cooperative” continues to be the primary engine for financial empowerment across the continent.
