Mentor SACCO, now aged 49 years-old with its Headquarters in Muranga County, has seen its members vote to pass a resolution that will see the Society discard the Annual General Meeting(AGM) system to a leaner, more efficient and less costly delegates system.

This is where a large SACCO with diverse membership, interests and age sets, organise themselves by electing representatives, to push for their agenda at the Annual Delegates Meeting(ADMs), which is the highest decision-making organ of any regulated cooperative society.

Mentor SACCO now join other large societies that have adopted the delegates system, mostly to cater large membership and diverse interest groups such as the youth, women and pensioners as well as farmers and the general business community among others.

A move by Mentor SACCO to adopt the delegates system comes as the Society prepares for its 50th birthday next year. The Society said it is amending several of its by-laws to reflect its growth and journey over the years. Key among this is adoption of the delegates system to replace the AGMs.

ADMs designed to enable orderly meetings, deliberations and resolutions by large SACCOs with at least 5000 members and at lower costs.

“We as members of Mentor SACCO shall be celebrating our 50th Anniversary or Golden Jubilee next year. All members will be invited for these celebrations. All other subsequent meetings will be held through the delegates system”, said Eliud Mbugua, Mentor SACCO Board Chairman.

Mentor SACCO Special General Meeting Convened to change its by-laws

He made these remarks during the Mentor SACCO held on October 17th, at St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral Grounds in Muranga County. This special general meeting was also attended by All Sub County Cooperative Officers in Muranga County, The County Director for Cooperatives as well as the Commissioner for Cooperatives and the SASRA Chief Executive Officer.

The Mentor SACCO amendments to its by-laws touched on the new governance structure, composition and powers vested in the ADM as well as electoral zones and units that will have delegate(s), who qualifies to be elected a delegates and the qualifications that one seeking to be a delegate must meet.

During this special meeting, members raised various issues, including ECD teachers, nurses and county assembly workers, who wanted to be each represented by their own.

“We have more than enough ECD teachers from our records, who qualify to become delegates, so long as one meets the required thresholds such as a minimum of ordinary shares worth KSh 350,000,” said Maina.

He told the meeting that Mentor SACCO Board has set the number of delegates at 108 and will increase this number to cater for other interest groups such as PWDs, to 180 delegates as time moves on

“A delegate will represent between 435- 500 members. This is something that we have already worked out and considered. Remember, this SACCO had a director representing more than 1000 members. We have narrowed this number down to 430-500. We plan to add the number of delegates at the SACCO membership grows,” said Maina.

Members on the floor expressed the desire to a delegate representing members from the business community. The SACCO is expected to increase the interests of various groups when vetting who qualifies to become a delegate among nurses, ECD teachers and County Government employees among others.