The Co-operative University of Kenya (CUK) and the County Government of Kajiado signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday, April 22, 2021, that is aimed at achieving the following:

1. Enhancing education through Joint research, consultancy, training, technological development, commercialization, and marketing in areas of mutual interests, which are but not limited, to Co-operative development, Disaster management, and Socio-economic development;
2. Enhancing capacity for the Co-operative Movement with a focus on Kajiado County;
3. Developing programmes and creating awareness of emerging innovations and approaches to appropriate Cooperative Business models for the Youth, Women, vulnerable communities, and low-income earners;
4. Enhancing professional skills through exchange visits and sharing of information between co-operators and officers of the parties;
5. Offer Co-operative training facilities at subsidized rates at the CUK’s Co-operative Retreat and Conference Centre (CRCC) to the County Government of Kajiado;
6. Supporting value addition ventures along the various cooperative supply chains that lead to improved productivity and income generation; and
7. Placements for CUK students by the CGK to gain practical experience and work ethics.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Prof Isaac Nyamongo, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Co-operative Development, Research and Innovation (CDRI) reiterated the importance of such partnerships between The Co-operative University of Kenya and the devolved governments. “I am pleased that we have today penned this Memorandum of Understanding between The Co-operative University of Kenya and the County Government of Kajiado and I am of the firm belief that this is not only a momentous occasion but a first step of linking academia to the county government all in a bid to creating and developing sustainable and long term solutions that will uplift the lives of the people of Kajiado.”

On his part, the Deputy Governor Kajiado County HE. Martin Moshisho Martine was upbeat about the new partnership and the opportunities that lay ahead for the people of Kajiado County. “This partnership with The Co-operative University of Kenya will greatly influence service delivery at the County of Kajiado. We are particularly keen on how we can sensitize and train the people of Kajiado the critical role that the co-operatives play and how they can leverage on the socio-economic benefits of organizing themselves using the co-operative model”.

This collaboration will provide a framework for the County Government of Kajiado and the University to work together openly, goals and processes will become more aligned, leading to the achievement of a higher success rate in the implementation of Co-operative development activities. This will lead to increased creativity and productivity among the County staff and the Co-operative development practitioners in the County.