The government has moved to strengthen cooperatives across the country and protect members fund from misuse with the approval of cooperatives Bill, 2023, at Cabinet level.

The proposed law is expected to strengthen the governance framework for co-operatives by re-introducing the role of Commissioners of co-operatives and also expanding the protection of co-operative members funds through enhanced supervision and regulation.

“The strengthening of the institutional framework that oversights co-operatives is a shot in the arm for smallholder agriculture that is the mainstay of millions of Kenyan households. The new framework will facilitate aggregation of agricultural produce for both our staple cash crops and emerging and fast-growing ventures in fisheries and aqua-culture, cereals, horticulture, bee keeping, avocados, macadamia nuts and cashew nuts, among others,” noted the Cabinet.

“Additionally, the complex barriers within the Coffee sub-sector will be eliminated, allowing farmers to more effectively participate in the coffee value chain and enjoy greater returns.”

The approval of the Bill was reached at a cabinet meeting chaired by President William Ruto, various policies, reform proposals geared towards the implementation of the Administration’s socio-economic blueprint, the Bottom-Up Transformation Agenda (BETA) were considered.

To position mining and the extractives sector as a springboard for industrialization, job creation, and exports development, Cabinet considered and approved a raft of reforms on the administration of the mining sector.

The Cabinet vacated the prohibition on mining using traditional and customary means known as Artisanal mining. Cabinet approved the proposal that the miners be encouraged to form co-operatives or groups, which will in turn receive group permits.

The Cabinet authorized partial lifting of the moratorium on issuance of new mining rights effected by Cabinet in the year 2019. “To protect Kenya’s national interest, the intervention comes in tandem with a more transparent and competitive licensing system.”

In addressing the growing vice of irresponsible gambling and betting, and the socio-economic challenges that result from the menace, the nation’s top policy organ considered and approved the Gambling Policy, 2023, the Gambling Control Bill, 2023, and the National Lottery Bill, 2023.

On approval by the Parliament, the legislative proposals will repeal the existing legal and institutional framework on gambling and betting enacted in the year 1966, and which has failed to properly govern the modern gambling and betting phenomenon in the country.

“The new paradigm is designed to address the negative effects of gambling and betting by building a national culture and a psyche of responsible betting and gambling while also establishing a more active and responsive governance framework to curb money laundering.”