If there was any question about the potency of the co-operative movement as a driver of change in Nyandarua, then Tower Sacco unequivocally answers it.

Aware of the role co-operative societies play in nation-building, I have set as part of my main agenda under my Manifesto, the foregrounding of the co-operatives movement as catalysts of change. Granted, the story of Tower Sacco, and which we celebrate today, is enough reason to believe that indeed the future of our county and wealth creation lies in numbers and through aggregation.

As such, to realize these individual and collective development goals, I ask residents of this great County to come together in their co-operatives and exploit the potential availed to them. Under my administration, the Department of Tourism, Co-operatives, Trade and Industrialization which previously wasn’t a prominent driver in development, is now an anchor arm in actualizing not just our CHANGE Manifesto, but in collating the dreams and aspirations of our people to create a thriving movement.

Some of the targeted interventions in this sector, and which my Government has embarked on, will include the strengthening of governance structures through capacity building, targeted support in the form of assets, subsidies and eventually loans under different funds. This is borne from the fact that it is impossible to reach out to people individually. And these interventions will require complementary support from financial institutions, especially our SACCOs.

For this reason, players in the financial sector like Tower SACCO must come through with innovative products and techniques that address unique contexts and environments of their clients. It would be helpful, for example, to tailor such financial products and solutions to agriculture-related activities for counties like Nyandarua. It would also be helpful to equally innovate friendlier products for the youth, persons living with disabilities, women and also men. Such demographically unique products will go a long way in enhancing financial inclusivity for largely under-banked societies like ours.

It is also my assurance that as a Government, I have instituted measures to ensure that contractors and suppliers trading with us are paid on time to avoid the financial distress associated with non-paid projects, especially bearing in mind that many are funded from our home-grown financial institutions.

However, it is also important that such project financing, when it happens, is dutifully discharged as per standards to avoid instances of non-payment. Such collaboration between financial partners and the County Government will ensure accountability and prompt honoring of financial obligations.

On value addition, and which will be central in revolutionarizing our productive sector, I have already held talks with His Excellency President (Dr.) William S. Ruto and followed up on several sectoral interventions which we have banked on as a County and also equally address the National Government’s development plans, and thankfully have been promised by his administration. I wish to inform you that the President has assured me that each of these interventions will be implemented and further support to our co-operatives offered.

This is the shared plan we have and which makes ours a joint venture between my administration and co-operative societies. Nyandarua and Tower SACCO are, therefore, tied in this single garment of destiny for our people’s sake.

Compiled by:  H.E (DR.) Moses N. Badilisha kiarie

 Governor, Nyandarua County. (governor@nyandarua.go.ke / @NyandaruaCG018)