By Roy Hezron
Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Secretary General Akelo Misori has confirmed that their long awaited Savings and Credit Co-operative (Sacco) is already registered and currently running.
According to Misori, the Sacco will be a game-changer for the Union and its over 120,000 members.
“As a Union we have registered our long-desired Sacco, Walimu Solidarity Sacco, which is already up and running. Creating and launching the Sacco is a real game-changer for the Union,” said Misori.
Creating the Sacco was top in the manifesto of the current National Executive Board (NEB) led by the national chairman Hon. Omboko Milemba, who is also defending his Emuhaya parliamentary seat in this year’s elections, and Secretary General Akelo Misori when they were re-elected for another five year term.
According to the Union’s NEB in their manifesto, the Sacco, which was as a result of converting the Union’s National Governing Council Welfare Fund to a Sacco, will mobilize members’ savings and mark a new beginning for teachers’ empowerment as the Sacco will create a special fund to cushion members during strikes.
Through the initiative, the Union’s efforts to empower its members to withstand strikes by creating investment vehicles to mobilize savings and resources to sustain the Union during emergencies will be supplemented.
“Drawing on lessons from teachers’ Unions in Ghana and Swaziland, KUPPET intends to launch a Sacco wholly bankrolled by the Union. The Sacco will be achieved by the conversion of the National Governing Council Welfare Fund, a process which is already underway,” reads the manifesto document.
During the meeting, Misori also highlighted the recent development in carrying out institutional capacity the Union has undertaken, and which started in August last year, to equip all the Union officials and employees with latest skills for Union leadership.
“Over the last three months, we have conducted workshops for Branch Treasurers and Assistant Treasurers, and BEC (Branch Executive Committee) members from the Coast, Eastern and Central Clusters. We have also inducted members of all Union committees, which have all defined the modalities for their operations,” said Misori during the conference, whose theme was Building Resilience for Future Adaptation: Union’s Perspectives.
Misori called upon all members and its leadership to deploy their current strengths to not only meet today’s needs, but also anticipate future trends and prepare accordingly for any challenges.
