Kirinyaga Senator James Kamau Murango has turned to detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for help after a Sacco with the life savings of his 6,000 constituents closed down abruptly
Kamau asked the officers to investigate the operations and financial dealings of the Sacco over the past four years. He also demanded the detectives ensure anyone found culpable of misappropriating the funds is prosecuted.
He also wrote to Cooperatives and SMEs Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui to intervene as the Sacco is reported to have misappropriated about Ksh19.4 million.
The Senator disclosed that the members include coffee farmers working in 3 local factories.
He added that the Sacco opened its doors in 2011 but closed down temporarily before reopening in 2013 and had been operating until reports of its financial troubles surfaced.
The financial struggles were revealed in an inspection report compiled by the Office of the Director of Cooperatives in Kirinyaga County. The investigation was triggered by complaints from members who expressed concerns over the organisation's financial health.
When the members got wind of the struggles, they staged a protest at the Sacco's offices but they did not get a satisfactory response on the real situation.
However, the following day, the members reported that the Sacco's offices had been closed down.
"A notice had been pinned on the door informing them the Sacco had been closed indefinitely with no reason for the closure being provided in the notice," read part of the Senator's statement.
According to the lawmaker, the members fear losing their savings, shares, and assets while employees are staring at the stark possibility of losing their jobs.
"I write to you as a concerned representative of all those affected by the goings on at the Sacco, seeking your assistance and intervention to save this Sacco from going under which would mean a loss of the members' savings and a risk to many lives and livelihoods," he pleaded.
The lawmaker also asked the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to safeguard the savings of the members and protect the interests of the 6,000 members.
Kamau also demanded the shareholders should also be paid their annual dividends for the year 2023 as expected.
