Bodaboda operators in Nandi County have been urged to form Sacco’s in order to benefit from National and County Government empowerment programmes.
Nandi Governor, Stephen Sang, said the cooperative movement would enable them to access Government funding easily and weed out criminals from the sector.
“When saving in a Sacco, you are creating a bright future because you can easily access loans to expand your business. Do not stick only to the Bodaboda business. Think big,” he said.
The Governor also challenged the riders who sat their Form Four examination but failed to join colleges and universities to join technical institutions to learn various skills.
Nandi County Executive Committee (CEC) Member for Trade, Tourism, and Enterprise Development, CPA Alfred Lagat, assured riders they would provide them with office space for easy coordination and management.
“Being members of Sacco’s will help bring sanity as officials will know their members and punish errant members,” he said.
Lagat noted that revenue collection is key in running government projects and hence agreed with the sector leadership on resuming bodaboda stickers for efficiency.
Despite being a convenient mode of transport for many, the Bodaboda business has become a headache for security personnel, as most riders lack basic training and safety equipment. They have been blamed for many accidents across the country, with some gangs using bikes to make quick gateways after committing crimes.
Meanwhile, Bodaboda riders in Turkana County have been urged to register their associations into cooperative societies to benefit from the immense opportunities for business growth available for such entities.
During a workshop held in Lodwar town County Executive for Trade, Enterprise Development, Cooperatives, Youth and Gender Affairs, Elizabeth Loote outlined the financial and economic benefits of joining Saccos, including access to enhanced credit services in terms of bigger loans and manageable repayment installment schedules from commercial banks and Government-backed schemes.
In Elgeyo Marakwet, young people have been told to join cooperative societies. Marakwet West sub-county Cooperatives Officer Stanley Kigen noted that joining cooperatives also makes youths more accessible, making it easier for the government to support them in their agricultural activities.
He noted that there had been a decline in the performance of the agriculture cooperative societies, which could be attributed to the aging membership and flood of brokers and middlemen in the sector.
He observed that the number of cooperative societies and membership has significantly dropped. Kigen added that failure by the young generation to patronize and take over leadership poses a challenge to Societies whose majority of members are above 65 years.
