KENYA POLICE SACCO: SEMI-ILLITERATE BOARD CHAIRMAN LOOTS INSTITUTION DRY AS SASRA CHEERS THEM ON

Since it is against the societies act 29 (L) for one to seat on the board without attaining at least an ordinary level education he was subsequently kicked out of the KUSCCO board as a representative of Kenya Police Sacco

Mr David Mategwa with CS Fred Matiangi

 at a past function

Sacco Society’s Regulatory Authority (SASRA) the Saccos regulatory body in Kenya face a huge test of taming wayward and sometimes semi illiterate board chairmen against leading their respective societies into total ruin. That the Sacco movement has changed people’s lives in Kenya is a fact few will dispute, that the sector has also been a source of misery to others is undisputable.

SACCOs play a key role in contributing to the country’s savings that has boosted social development and the economy to a large extent. The sector is also reeling under the weight of mismanagement from semi-illiterate and unprofessional managers, fraudulent activities committed by some board members and unsecured bad loans that have halted, to some extent the Sacco sectors’ path to stability. 

                                                          The Police Sacco plaza

Intertwined therein are unresolved murder cases largely targeting young, ambitious and highly educated individuals ‘’who seem to pose a threat to the old guard’’ most of whom are not well equipped to hold the said positions. 

Police Sacco is one of the institutions that have shown huge growth potential, but that potential has been hampered by poorly performing board chaired by a semi-illiterate man, one David Mategwa. The mere fact that Mategwa is the current chair of the board at Police Sacco is a huge indictment on the Sacco industry in Kenya and SASRA in particular.

Mr. Mategwa used to hold a seat on the board of the Sacco’s umbrella body, the Kenya Union of Savings and Credit Cooperatives (KUSCCO) having been seconded there by his parent SACCO, Kenya Police, but was kicked out by fellow board members when it emerged that he could not comprehend or grasp any deliberations during meetings, though after board meetings he would demand unrealistic allowances and other favourers that are not supported by the Sacco’s act.

Due to curiosity and upon inquiries the board discovered to their horror that the man does not poses any high school certificate despite him claiming that he had attended Ambira boys’ high school, in Siaya County. He has never disclosed the school year that he claims to have been there nor grades attained.

Since it is against the societies act 29 (L) for one to seat on the board without attaining at least an ordinary level education he was subsequently kicked out of the KUSCCO board as a representative of Kenya Police Sacco. Feeling aggrieved by the boards' decision he sued the Kuscco board in July of 2018; vie cooperatives tribunal case no. 344 of 2019.

After the hearing and determination, The Cooperatives Tribunal court seating’s in Nairobi, Mr Mategwa’s case was dismissed when he failed to produce any evidence of his academic status or any other certificate to prove claims of him being an ordinary level certificate holder or its equivalent.

At Police Sacco where he’s chairman members have been complaining of several malpractices among them the inflated cost of about Sh. 600 when putting up the Police Sacco Plaza in Ngara. Corruption in the construction of any infrastructure where members pool together for a project has particularly serious implications.

A Section of members confided to us that part of the kickback of the inflated cost from the Police Sacco plaza, could have been used by him to build his ultra-modern homes in Kitengela, Embakasi and his rural home in western Kenya.

The chairman is said to be raking in millions of shillings in allowances by making several unwarranted local and overseas trips in the name of benchmarking, yet he does not even know the true meaning of benchmarking. Inquiries made to SASRA by us, as to whether they were aware that a semi-illiterate person was chairing the board of such a sensitive entity, more so a Sacco holding savings from members of security forces in Kenya went unheeded.

Incidentally, it’s during the Annual General Meeting for Kenya Police Sacco in March 2019 where the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Coordination of National Government Dr Fred Matiangi said that his ministry and that of Trade and Cooperatives will not allow members’ savings to be used by selfish individuals.

In the above scenario, we await to see what SASRA and other investigative and regulatory bodies will come up with in order to stem the rampant impunity at Kenya Police Sacco plus others Saccos that undergoing the same leadership challenges.