36. The Cooperatives Bill, 2024

This Bill seeks to provide a legal framework for the promotion, registration and regulation of Cooperatives in the country and give effect to Article 186 and the Fourth Schedule to the Constitution.

Quick link: http://www.parliament.go.ke/sites/default/files/2024-02/The Cooperatives Bill, 2024.pdf

· Once enacted into law The Co-operative Societies Act, 1997 will be repealed.

· The Bill provides for the registration of housing cooperatives. A housing cooperative is defined as a cooperative registered with the object of facilitating its members to acquire housing for the benefit of its members. The Bill further stipulates that a housing cooperative should have the word “housing” immediately before “Cooperative” as part of its name.

· The Bill also provides for the establishment of the Office of the Commissioner for Cooperative Development and the Office of the County Director for Cooperatives at the national and county levels respectively. These offices are established to provide for inter-governmental cooperative relations.