The government is racing to finalize the new Cooperatives Bill, with President William Ruto poised to sign it into law in the coming weeks—a move that promises to reshape the sector through modernization and tighter governance.

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, speaking at Saturday's 104th Ushirika Day celebrations at Uhuru Park, revealed that the legislation will push cooperatives into the digital age while clamping down on opacity and weak oversight. "Within a month, the President will sign this Bill to modernize the sector, improve transparency, and make it digitally fluent," he declared.

Kindiki emphasized that creating a standalone Ministry of Cooperatives and MSMEs signals the administration's serious intent to breathe new life into the movement. Alongside parallel reforms in the Sacco subsector—which holds over Sh1 trillion in savings from more than eight million Kenyans—the Bill aims to rebuild public trust through better governance and member protection.

Beyond regulation, the DP painted a vision of cooperatives as engines of everyday prosperity: helping farmers access markets, workers secure affordable credit, and families educate children, build homes, and start businesses. He stressed that the ultimate goal is to build institutions that are transparent, financially robust, professionally run, and resilient enough to anchor the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.

Kindiki also threw down a challenge to cooperatives: actively recruit more young people and women into both membership and leadership, warning that the movement's future depends on fresh energy. "We must encourage the youth to embrace this tradition—it equips them to succeed in business and beyond," he said.

He sees cooperatives as natural allies in delivering government priorities, from boosting agricultural output and strengthening MSMEs to expanding affordable housing, Universal Health Coverage, and the digital economy—while also tackling youth unemployment by turning job seekers into job creators.

The DP commended the Ministry of Cooperatives for driving the reforms and pledged to lobby for bigger budgets to fuel growth, with an ambitious target of doubling current membership from 14 million. "We applaud Sacco members for cultivating a culture of savings and productivity and for actively contributing to national development," he said. "With cooperatives taking center stage, I look forward to a brighter future for our country."