Monday, September 23, 2024 - Cooperatives and MSMEs Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya is not entertaining any mediocrity anymore.
This is after he sent the entire
management team at Kangunu Cooperative Society in Murang'a County packing
citing gross misconduct.
Noting that this would take
effect immediately, Oparanya warned the fired employees to not set foot on
the premises in any managerial capacity.
“Starting today, the management
committee of Kangunu Cooperative Society should step aside and keep off from
any business relating to the cooperative,” he announced.
The decision, Oparanya said, was
informed by the poor management, unjust expulsion, harassment, and illegal
deduction of members’ payments that have been taking place in the society for
the last seven years.
Consequently, Oparanya said that
investigations into the misconduct by the Commissioner of Cooperatives would
begin immediately.
He also urged him to conduct a
fresh election in 14 days with the view to shake up the leadership and
encouraged the coffee farmers to show up and have their voices heard.
In the interim, Oparanya said
that the Head of Cooperatives, Stephen Wambugu will take over the leadership
who will be assisted by the county’s security team.
The society had been rocked with
protests over mismanagement of funds for years. The discontentment finally
boiled over last week at a planned Annual General Meeting (AGM) when
members found the premises occupied by police officers and unknown people
posing as farmers.
Farmers who had been expelled
from the society were also reinstated and advised to start harvesting and
selling coffee to the factory immediately.
Besides the leadership changes,
Oparanya also faulted the mandatory deductions of 5% on farmers earnings calling
it theft as the funds were not properly accounted for.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
.jpg)
0 Comments