Elgeyo Marakwet Government Trains 20 Cooperative Officers

Elgeyo Marakwet County has trained 20 cooperative officers to develop cooperative movement in the Wards.

The two-day training focused on cooperative development, auditing and membership mobilization among others. The officers will be based at the ward offices and are expected to train the public on importance of cooperative movements and to enlist more public to the movement.

Last week, Governor Wisley Rotich announced the re-deployment of the officers from headquarters in Iten to wards so that they are closer to people to deliver services, a move he said it conformed his campaign promises to ensure the county served residents at the grassroots level through his Huduma Mashinani program.

The Governor plans to decentralise all county services in the spirit of devolution.

On Tuesday, the governor asked the officers to start enlisting members to cooperatives, a move he said would enable farmers and other groups to be ready to access the anticipated Hustlers Fund and also benefit from other national, donor and county programmes.

“You are expected to educate our people on the importance of joining cooperatives. Our people should be taught that it is easier to negotiate as a movement for better prices of commodities,” he said, “when our farmers sell their produce through cooperatives, they will weed off the middle men who have always been exploiting them and yield better returns.”

The officers are expected to be be giving weekly reports on their progress.