The DVC – CDRI & Ag. DVC – AA, Professor Isaac Nyamongo

The Education & Training Director, DAWI – Rebecca Bauen

The Senior Technical Specialist, Global Communities, Ashley Holst

The Kenya Country Lead, CLEAR program, Global Communities, Olga Oyier

Director ICD, Professor Wycliffe Oboka

All Trainers from DAWI

CUK Champions

All Delegates from CUK Faculty

Ladies and Gentlemen.

A very good morning to you all.

It gives me great pleasure to join you this morning on the occasion of the Graduation ceremony, one of its Kind in the Cooperative Movement in Kenya. I wish, to first of all, appreciate the Division of Co-operative Development, Research and Innovation for leading us to this day of triumph.

Ladies and Gentlemen.

CUK has constantly played a central role in providing globally competitive quality Co-operative education, training, outreach activities and capacity development to the Co-operative sector workforce. We are a Centre of Excellence for the cooperative sector in Kenya, in line with the realization of Vision 2030, which aims at transforming the country into a newly industrializing, middle-income country providing a high quality life to all its citizens.

Ladies and Gentlemen

On the continent, Kenya has always been in the forefront in embracing new ideas, innovation and entrepreneurship activities. In Cooperative development, we have many business models. New models have cropped up in other sectors and social-development fronts. Worker-owner cooperative business model being one of them, we are supporting any efforts that will make sure this model has gained momentum and is sustainable.

To realize this responsibility, CUK has continued to establish strategic long-term partnerships and collaborations with other players in the cooperative movement. We are working with the national government, County governments, academia, private sector and development partners in Kenya and beyond.

Distinctively, I would like to commend the Global Communities for the long-term good working relationship we have had in supporting cooperative movement in Kenya. We have walked a common journey since the inaugural of the CLEAR program which was launched at CUK during our 2nd Annual Conference to date. Our collaboration has seen a great improvement in the cooperative sector. We started by engaging in a co-organizing cooperative conference as a platform to engage with key players in the cooperative sector, including county governments in capacity development and dissemination of information. Later we engaged in building the capacities of the service cooperatives that were supported by Global Communities in developing hybrid business documents.

Ladies and Gentlemen

The journey of working on this program began in January, 2021 between CUK, Global Communities and Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI) and I strongly believe that this is the beginning of promoting and supporting worker-owner cooperative business models in Kenya.

We welcome the worker cooperative curriculum in Kenya through CUK  by incorporating the same in our academic programs and as a short course that will be delivered through CDRI and Institute of Co-operative Development (ICD).

CUK will support the program by allowing the faculty who have been identified and trained as TOT and students who will be on-boarded to champion for the development and growth of this interesting model. Through our innovation and incubation hub to be established at CUK, We promise to support and incubate new ventures in the worker – owner cooperative business model. Also, we will reach out to the cooperative players out there to support this development.

To the Graduands

A big Congratulations, you have done very well and we are very proud of you. You are the pioneer graduates on this 1st ever graduation ceremony as TOT for worker Cooperative business model in Kenya and I am personally overjoyed to see you through your journey of supporting the cooperative movement. We join you in defining the cooperative business model in Kenya and beyond.

I know that all of you are coming with different expertise and from different disciplines and I take this opportunity to welcome all of you in the vast world of great talents, space for job creators, entrepreneurs and innovators, which I know you are all well equipped for the task ahead.

Lastly but definitely not least, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to wish you all a wonderful day as you celebrate your well deserved  achievement. Thank you .

God Bless You.