The Nyeri county government will be training cooperative leaders every year to ensure the prudent management of the societies.
The county government through the department of cooperative development trained more than 800 leaders of cooperative societies last year.
Governor Mutahi Kahiga said on Monday the board members for all cooperatives were trained at Dedan Kimathi University of Technology for three days.
“We have decided that this is going to be an annual event. We shall be getting all the board members from coffee, milk cooperatives and Saccos among others and we shall be training them so that they are well-equipped,” Kahiga said.
The department will closely monitor the cooperatives and deal with deviants.
"A time has come when things must be done in the correct way. Cooperative societies will not be allowed to become self-enriching entities," the governor said.
Kahiga said there have been sad stories where farmers tend their coffee the whole year, harvest and deliver the crop to their respective cooperative societies only to be told that all their money was deducted to pay debts.
He directed the executive in charge of cooperatives to be vigilant and ensure that societies are run professionally.
“How can farmers take their coffee to a factory and instead of getting money they get negative coffee payment rates yet they delivered coffee there?” posed Kahiga.
The governor said there are cooperative board members who are not keen on doing things right. "Such such people will not be tolerated."
Edited by P.O
