Unprofessional behavior by some leaders and managers of co-operatives has been blamed for the loss of members’ investments.
Co-operative Principal Secretary Ali Noor has warned “unscrupulous persons” who he said have been using the co-operative name to swindle innocent Kenyans out of their hard-earned money.
“Am aware there are many co-operatives that are doing a good job, which is commendable, but there are a few others that are soiling the name of the sector and giving the movement a bad name,” he said.
Noor, who was speaking during a leaders’ conference organized by the Kenya Society of Professional Co-operators (KSPC), urged the organization to manage the problem by ensuring co-operative leaders and staff members act professionally.
“KSPC should revolutionalize the management of co-operatives in the country.
Inquiries instituted by the State Department of co-operatives have in many instances detected unprofessional behavior by leaders and the management of co-operatives leading to losses to member’s investments,” he said.
He noted that the National Co-operative Policy identified the challenge and recommended enforcement of professional and ethical standards in the sector.
KSPC is expected to promote co-operative management as a profession by registering and requiring members to work within certain professional and ethical standards.
According to Prof Esther Gicheru, KSPC Chairperson, they have so far registered 150 members.
She said they had signed an MOU on 10th March 2020 with Kasneb to support it in administering Certified Co-operative Professional (CCOP) examinations.
“This will give KSPC time to develop the required internal capacity. As we speak, we have applied to Kenya National Qualifications Authority to register our three qualifications: CCOP level 1, CCOP level 2, and CCOP level 3. We will commence recruiting students to sit for CCOP exams once we receive the certificates for the registration of the qualifications,” Prof Gacheru said.
She said they are in the process of accrediting training institutions to train on established qualifications, with the Co-operative University of Kenya having already applied for evaluation.
She said once members are registered, they are issued with a membership certificate and annual practicing licenses.
