The Acting Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Union of Savings and Credit Co-operatives (KUSCCO), Peter Wanjohi, has announced sweeping institutional reforms aimed at restoring credibility, stabilising finances and redefining the union’s role within Kenya’s SACCO movement.
Addressing delegates during the 11th SACCO Leaders Convention in Mombasa, Wanjohi acknowledged that past governance and financial challenges at the union had negatively affected SACCOs and their members, but maintained that the crisis had opened the door for structural change.
“To understand where we are going, we must acknowledge where we have been,” he told hundreds of SACCO leaders gathered for the week-long convention. “KUSCCO faced governance and financial challenges, which had adverse consequences to SACCOs and members.”
The admission marked one of the clearest acknowledgements yet from the union’s leadership regarding recent turbulence that has shaken confidence in the cooperative apex body.
Strategic Shift in Mandate.
At the heart of the reform agenda is a fundamental repositioning of KUSCCO’s mandate. Wanjohi announced that the union will step back from functions primarily centred on mobilising SACCO investments and instead concentrate on advocacy and sector support services.
“The Union will remain a national advocate for the SACCO movement in Kenya,” he said. “We are revising the mandate—not as an institution primarily for mobilising SACCO investments. This is strategic and necessary.”
He noted that separating advocacy from investment activities is intended to eliminate potential conflicts of interest and ensure equitable service delivery to all SACCOs.
“We must serve all SACCOs without any conflict of interest,” he emphasised.
Going forward, KUSCCO will prioritise advocacy, research, training and capacity building, areas Wanjohi described as essential to strengthening governance standards across the sector.
Internal Restructuring.
The reforms have already triggered significant internal adjustments. The union has reduced its workforce from 200 to 75 employees in a move Wanjohi said was necessary to align staffing levels with the revised mandate and current financial realities.
“The reduction was necessary to align with the human resource structure, the revised mandate and the financial reality,” he said.
In addition, governance structures, operational systems, financial management frameworks and stakeholder engagement protocols are being reviewed to support the union’s new direction.
The restructuring signals a leaner and more focused organisation, designed to rebuild trust among SACCO leaders and members who rely on the union for coordination and representation.
Financial Stability First.
Wanjohi identified financial stabilisation as the immediate priority, warning that reforms cannot succeed without a sound financial base. “Stabilise the Union finances—because without financial stability, no reform can succeed,” he said. The union is working to settle creditors in what he described as a “structured and honoured manner,” while ensuring continuity of core services during the transition. “Core business must continue without disruptions,” he added.
Restoring stakeholder confidence and strengthening compliance mechanisms are also central to the recovery strategy. The acting CEO signalled closer collaboration with regulators and the government to reinforce accountability frameworks within the cooperative sector.
Push for a National Data Centre.
In a forward-looking initiative, Wanjohi revealed that KUSCCO is in discussions with the relevant ministry to establish a national SACCO data centre. The proposed platform would consolidate data from SACCOs nationwide, including governance indicators, digital adoption metrics and other operational benchmarks that are currently fragmented or absent at national level. “Without reliable data, advocacy is strained,” he said, noting that some SACCO information is not captured in national datasets. He argued that measuring the success of the cooperative movement requires more than financial reporting.
“The story of a movement cannot be told through a balance sheet alone; it must also be supported by non-financial indicators as evidence.” If implemented, the data centre could strengthen policy advocacy, improve transparency and provide evidence-based insights into the performance and social impact of SACCOs.
Rebuilding the Movement.
Throughout his address, Wanjohi struck a tone of both accountability and optimism, thanking SACCO leaders for standing by the movement during a difficult period. “Thank you for standing firmly behind the movement and your members, as it continues advancing in financial inclusion and economic empowerment,” he said.
By openly addressing past shortcomings and outlining a reform roadmap, the union’s leadership appears intent on turning crisis into an opportunity for institutional renewal. As deliberations continue at the Mombasa convention, SACCO leaders are expected to interrogate governance standards, digital transformation strategies and compliance frameworks—discussions that mirror KUSCCO’s repositioning agenda.
For Kenya’s cooperative sector, long regarded as a pillar of grassroots financial inclusion, the reforms signal a decisive effort to restore confidence and redefine the union’s role as a transparent and accountable national advocate.
