Co-operative Bank of Kenya’s employer-based savings and credit unit, NWDT Sacco Society, has been ranked the best performing large- and medium-tier non-withdrawable deposit-taking (NDT) SACCO during the country’s 2025 Ushirika Day celebrations.
- •The award, presented during the 103rd International Day of Cooperatives, recognizes NWDT’s performance across metrics including capitalization, deposit and credit management, efficiency, governance, and technology adoption among Tier-2 employer-based Saccos with assets between KSh 5-10 billion.
- •This year’s celebrations coincided with the United Nations’ declaration of 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives, an event that Kenya has used to spotlight the role of cooperatives in its economic development strategy.
- •Co-operative Bank, which traces its roots to the cooperative movement in 1963, now holds KSh 774.1 billion in assets and over 9 million account holders, making it the largest cooperative-owned bank in Africa.
“Co-operative Bank of Kenya represents the purest expression of cooperative principles in modern banking. Our ownership by the cooperative movement is not just a shareholding structure, it’s a testament to collective ownership and mutual benefit,” said the bank’s CEO, Dr. Gideon Muriuki.
The bank’s growth has been driven in part by its network of 619 Front Office Service Activity (FOSA) outlets, which extend banking access to rural and underserved areas. In 2024 alone, the bank disbursed KSh 14 billion in loans to MSMEs through its MCo-op Cash mobile platform.
The cooperative sector has gained increasing political and policy attention, with legislation such as the Cooperatives Bill No. 7 of 2024 expected to shape the sector’s future structure. If passed, the bill would introduce new governance, transparency, and compliance measures aimed at strengthening accountability across Kenya’s more than 30,000 registered cooperatives.
“In Kenya, over 30,000 cooperatives positively impact agriculture, finance, housing, and health, advancing Vision 2030 and the UN SDGs and lift millions out of poverty, from Agricultural Based Co-operatives to SACCO members, demonstrating the power of collective action,” said Cabinet Secretary for Ministry of Cooperatives Wycliffe Oparanya.
Co-operative Bank Group maintains a strong regional presence through 211 branches and over 15,000 agency banking outlets across Kenya and South Sudan. Its majority shareholding, 64.5%, is controlled by more than 15 million cooperative members.