By irene
Kenya is set to commemorate this year’s Ushirika Day on July 12 with a series of nationwide activities designed to spotlight the vital contribution of cooperatives to the country’s economic and social development. The celebrations, coordinated by the National Council for Ushirika Day Celebrations, come at a historic moment as they align with the conclusion of the United Nations-declared International Year of Cooperatives (IYC), held under the global banner “Cooperatives Build a Better World.”
Speaking during a press briefing in Nairobi on Wednesday, Vice Chairman Daniel Marube emphasized the significance of this year’s theme, noting that it captures the power of cooperatives in tackling pressing global issues such as poverty, inequality, unemployment, and climate change.
“The cooperative model remains one of the most inclusive systems—rooted in democratic values and shared prosperity,” Marube said.
A vibrant lineup of events has been planned ahead of the national celebrations. On Thursday, July 3, a large-scale blood donation drive will take place at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in partnership with Kenyatta National Hospital and the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service. This will be followed by county-level celebrations across the country—excluding Nairobi—on Saturday, July 5, at venues identified by local county committees.
The highlight of the festivities will be on Saturday, July 12, at KICC, where the National Celebrations and Awards Ceremony will honour exemplary cooperatives and key stakeholders who have driven transformative change in their communities.
Kenya’s cooperative movement, Marube noted, continues to serve as a cornerstone of progress, especially in agriculture, housing, employment creation, and financial inclusion. In agriculture, smallholder farmers in the dairy, coffee, tea, and sugar sectors have reaped enormous benefits from cooperative aggregation and value addition. The Kenya Coffee Cooperative Exchange reported record earnings in 2025, with Nyeri’s Njuriga and Othaya Coffee Societies paying farmers Sh172 and Sh158 per kilo of cherry respectively. Meru Dairy Society also stood out with a turnover of Sh18.3 billion in 2024, handling over 195 million litres of milk and paying close to Sh900 million monthly to farmers.
“These figures represent more than just business success—they reflect the transformation of rural economies,” Marube remarked.
Cooperatives are also spearheading affordable housing initiatives, with support from the Kenya Mortgage Refinancing Company. The sector is expected to deliver up to 25 percent of Kenya’s affordable housing units, mainly benefiting citizens excluded from the formal mortgage system.
Savings and Credit Cooperatives (Saccos) have similarly continued to empower women and youth through low-interest loans, enabling small business growth, improved household incomes, and a reduction in poverty, particularly in rural and informal urban areas.
Today, the cooperative sector directly employs around 750,000 Kenyans, with millions more earning their livelihoods indirectly. This underscores its crucial role in driving the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
The Cooperative Alliance of Kenya (CAK) has called on the national government to enact supportive legislation, increase funding for the sector, and integrate cooperative education into schools. County governments have equally been urged to strengthen extension services, governance systems, and support aggregation and value addition to maximize cooperative potential.
“As we prepare to mark Ushirika Day 2025, we must reaffirm our commitment to building a better, fairer, and more inclusive economy through cooperatives,” said Marube.
The upcoming celebrations promise not only to honour past achievements but also to inspire a renewed drive toward cooperative-led growth that leaves no Kenyan behind.