The National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP) has intensified capacity-building for cooperatives and Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs) in Uasin Gishu County by training their officials on transparent procurement and proper utilization of grant funds.
Speaking during the training, Uasin Gishu County NAVCDP Coordinator Cosmas Langat said the programme is aimed at ensuring cooperatives comply with procurement procedures while maximizing the benefits of project funding to farmers.
Langat said NAVCDP supports cooperatives through several funding windows designed to strengthen governance, improve service delivery and increase value addition along priority agricultural value chains.
He explained that the first funding window, the Inclusion Grant, enables cooperatives to establish and equip offices, digitize their operations and recruit more members.
“The digitization programme allows cooperatives to improve record keeping, link farmers to payment platforms and enhance management of their operations. The grant also supports the purchase of computers, office furniture and member mobilization activities,” he said.
The second funding window, the County Enterprise Development Grant, supports cooperatives to acquire small-scale value addition equipment and other productive assets.
According to Langat, the grant can finance solar energy systems to reduce operational costs, small processing equipment, farm implements and storage facilities for farm inputs and produce.
He added that cooperatives can also benefit from Value Chain Upgrading Matching Grants, which support larger investments in value addition and processing to enable farmers to earn higher returns from their produce.
The project is also linking cooperatives with private sector buyers to provide reliable markets for farmers’ produce.
Langat said NAVCDP is currently prioritizing dairy, coffee, avocado, indigenous chicken and potato value chains in Uasin Gishu County.
He noted that the procurement training is intended to ensure cooperative officials acquire the knowledge and skills needed to manage public funds responsibly.
“We want cooperatives to be transparent, comply with procurement regulations and ensure the funds are utilized in a way that delivers value to farmers,” Langat said.
He added that building the procurement capacity of cooperative leaders will help improve accountability, promote good governance and ensure investments financed under the project contribute to increased agricultural productivity and sustainable growth of farmer organizations.
By Ekuwam Sylvester
