Cooperatives in Kenya boost from FAO

An agreement has been signed between the Cooperative Development Ministry and UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Under the pact, the country will channel its technical proficiency through the Co-operative College of Kenya and increase Kenya’s cooperation with FAO in supporting agricultural based Cooperatives.

This comes after the recent creation of Cooperative Alliance of Kenya (CAK) by the government to replace the Kenya National Federation of Cooperatives (KNFC). CAK is mandated to represent the cooperative sector at both the national and international stage. The institution is further mandated to make investments on behalf of the 12,000 cooperatives registered in the country.

During the meeting that is in line with the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC), the Minister of Cooperatives Development Joe Nyagah highlighted that Kenya’s Cooperative sector is the largest in Africa and 7^th in the world.

He also added that cooperative sector contributes 40 per cent of the GDP, more than 30 per cent of national saving and has a membership of 10 million in 12,000 cooperatives in Kenya.