The main challenge Co-operative Societies experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic was restricted mobility – the ability to move goods and persons during the pandemic. According to a study by the International Co-operative Research Group (ICRG), the research arm of the US Overseas Co-operative Development Council (OCDC), this problem was reported by 18 co-operative societies across five countries-namely Uganda, Malawi, Madagascar, Rwanda, and Kenya.
 Mobility was affected by limited transportation due to lockdowns and government-imposed restrictions, which also increased the demand and cost of transportation, as well as government policies imposing curfews, restricting where meetings could take place, and limiting the number of attendees.
All of these factors impinge upon co-operatives’ ability to meet in person, make important decisions, save, engage with buyers, and hold training.
The ability to hold meetings is imperative to co-operatives’ functioning as this is where voting, decision-making, and member savings often occur.
While there are co-operatives that were able to hold virtual meetings, especially those located within urban areas in Kenya, most of the rural agro-based co-operative societies were unable to go virtual due to poor internet connectivity in rural regions, and that cost and availability were also barriers to utilizing virtual services.
Co-operative Societies, especially those in the agricultural sector, also cited reduced sales and operations as a major challenge. These setbacks were fueled by many interconnecting factors in addition to transportation issues, including increased prices for land, animal feed, and inputs which resulted in the retrenchment of costs and services as well as a surplus of products for many co-operatives.
In the case of Kenya, the lockdown led to most truck drivers and transporters of fresh farm produce, who had not been tested, parking their vehicles, which affected access to farms owned by co-operative societies and markets. Most traders resorted to using smaller pick-ups. This led to reduced sales and operations of co-operatives in the agricultural sector, especially those in the dairy, flowers and horticulture sectors.
 During the pandemic, many firms sent home workers on unpaid leave while others shut down their operations. This led to co-operatives undergoing financial difficulty, with members defaulting on their loan repayments or withdrawing their savings to meet their financial obligations, such as payment of rent and other household expenses.
 According to a report by Cytonn, the economic crisis that erupted in Kenya after the first Covid-19 case was confirmed led to many workers taking pay cuts or going on unpaid leave while firms recorded losses, with others completely shutting down their operations. Many Sacco members withdrew their savings to cater to their basic needs.
Following members’ suspension of monthly payments, many Saccos, especially those in the industrial, horticultural, aviation, and hospitality sectors, were the worst hit and experienced severe liquidity shortfalls.
 The ICRG findings indicated that the rapid spread of this pandemic into neighboring countries of Sub-Sahara resulted in closed borders and restrictions on exports/imports for some co-operatives. In the case of Uganda, most co-operative societies were unable to export products as usual due to closures or long wait times for transport trucks at the border. A case in point is a ban that was placed on Ugandan maize exports to Kenya in June 2020, further reducing co-operative opportunities for sales.
 Other challenges that co-operatives encountered during the pandemic included adverse weather patterns, such as long periods of drought or unpredictable rain patterns due to climate change, which impacted crop yields and damaged products. Weather-related challenges did not make up a significant portion of responses but were all reported by Ugandan co-operatives.
 Kenyan-based DT Saccos, which draws membership from international organizations, were some of the worst hit by the pandemic.
 Rosemary Ateka, CEO of Concorde DT Sacco, which derives its membership from various global airlines, travel firms, and related companies, said her Society was among the worst hit. This followed the closure of the country’s air space, forcing international airlines to cut down on local staff, those sent home withdrawing their savings from Saccos to survive the pandemic.
 The withdrawal of savings during the pandemic affected the liquidity of many Saccos as well as membership levels, a situation that many of those societies that were worst hit yet to fully recover.
 At the height of the pandemic, Kenya’s co-operative movement, in partnership with the State Department for Co-operatives, formed a Co-operative Coronavirus Response Committee (CCRC), whose aim was to mobilize resources and provide support to critically affected co-operative societies.
 The Committee aimed to support those most adversely affected by the pandemic. It appealed to leaders of many Sacco, local and international partners, and friends of the co-operative movement to donate to the Covid-19 Response Fund.
 Those targeted were members of co-operatives who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic and who received assistance to enable them to purchase basic requirements, including food items.
 A study by United States Agency for International Development(USAID) between May and July 2020 found that Kenyan Co-operatives identified access to finance to cover revenue losses during the pandemic as the most significant need.
 This research, titled Impact of Covid-19 on Agricultural Co-operatives, collected data to assess how co-operative societies adopted over time due to the Covid-19 pandemic and covered 8 countries, namely Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Rwanda and Tanzania.
 The study found that 47.6% of the 89 agricultural co-operatives covered reported reduced operations as the worst impact of the pandemic, while 31 out of those interviewed reported lower income.
A slowdown in operations due to mobility restrictions and reduced co-operative revenue continued to increase in Kenya as well as the other countries covered by this study as the pandemic progressed.
 Additionally, all of the horticulture co-operatives surveyed reported reduced revenues due to restrictions on international travel and cargo shipment.
 In the case of Kenya, workers engaged in flower farming and fresh produce were among the worst hit due to the closure of airspaces in Europe, Kenya’s main export market destination, leading to layoffs and withdrawal of membership from many co-operatives engaged in these sectors.
 The most severe impacts of Covid-19 on individual members of co-operative societies in Kenya and their families included lower household income as well as delayed payments from the co-operative to members for products delivered.
 According to a report presented at the 9th Technical Committee of the Africa Ministerial Co-operative Conference(TCAMCCO) held between 23rd and 27th May in Mombasa, Kenya, in 2022, titled’ Accelerating Cooperation Among Co-operatives in the Post Covid-19 Era’, agricultural co-operatives in Kenya experienced reduced operations due to movement restrictions imposed in adherence to Covid-19 protocols impacting market access. This led to reduced revenues. The closing of schools also meant that the households consumed most of the milk leading to reduced revenues for the co-operatives.
“Cooperation among co-operatives was hampered by Covid-19, especially in areas where exchange visits among co-operatives could not happen due to the movement restrictions. Extension services were also disrupted,” said Prof. Esther Gicheru of the Co-operative University of Kenya during the panel discussions.
