Nairobi — Provincial benches will help settle a backlog of disputes, says Ndwiga

Provincial tribunals have been set up to arbitrate in cooperative societies disputes. This is intended to revive the multi-billion shilling movement.

The provincial tribunals will help settle a backlog of disputes that have been lying at national tribunals for more than three years, Cooperative Development and Marketing minister Njeru Ndwiga said.

Mr Ndwiga said the disputes had greatly contributed to the collapse of many savings and credit cooperative societies.

"Disputes settlement in the cooperative sector needs to be boosted," said the minister, adding that the tribunals would be sitting at all the provincial headquarters.

They will be chaired by officials qualified in settling cooperatives disputes.

The minister was speaking in his office when he received the regional manager of Finland based Nordic Development Fund, Mr Magnus Magnusson.

Mr Magnusson praised the Government for its commitment to revive the cooperative sector.

Mr Ndwiga said the provincial tribunals would work in line with the planned Cooperative Act.

"To ensure that the sub sector plays its rightful role in the recovery programme, we have embarked on putting up legal framework, policy directions and resuscitating the major agricultural institutions. The legal and policy reforms are at an advanced stage," he said.

The Commissioner of Cooperatives, Mr Humphrey Mwangi, who had accompanied the minister, said the new Act sought to, among other issues, rectify the anomalies in the current Act.

He said the new Act would require cooperative societies to present to the ministry audited accounts.

Mr Mwangi said the Attorney-General would be expected to provide the tribunals with qualified prosecutors to handle cases.

The Act will also strengthen the tribunals to ensure that all cooperatives disputes are handled by them and not by normal courts.

Mr Mwangi said the new Act would incorporate the Public Officer Ethics and the Anti-Corruption Acts.

Cooperative management committee members and their families were expected to declare their wealth by December 28, he added.

Mr Mwangi said cooperative management committee members and their families will be required to declare their wealth by December 28.