The Co-operative University College of Kenya signed an MOU on strategic partnership with the County Government of Meru on Friday 4th July 2014. This is the first of its kind on strategic partnership with county governments upon devolution. The CEC in charge of Co-operatives in Meru County Hon. Ntoitha Ntomithiaru who represented the governor lauded this move and said it is going to spark development in Meru County. The signing of the MOU was done in Meru County’s old chambers. The Principal of The Co-operative University College of Kenya Prof. Douglas Shitanda reiterated on the need to make use of the new relationship to revamp Meru County in the areas of co-operation for the mutual benefit of the two institutions.
The scope of this co-operation will spur radical transformation on various aspects between the two parties in areas that may/ will include various fields under co-operatives and its associated sectors involving Trade and Promotion, Technical and Human Resource Training, Exchange of Information, Tourism, Agriculture, Finance, Livestock, Insurance, Consultancy, Research and Development, Investment, Devolution, Leadership, Community Development, ICT, Education, Entrepreneurship, Governance and any other areas that may be agreed upon from time to time. Other aspects of partnership are:
- Capacity building for co-operatives;
- Research and consultancy on various
- Arid and semi arid land reclamation in Meru County
- Establishment of various co-operatives
- Establishment of co-operatives incubation centre in Meru county;
- Reviving of old Meru co-ops;
- Commissioning research on Miraa
The Co-operative University College of Kenya (CUCK) is a leading center for quality co-operative education, training, research and consultancy in Kenya. We were established as a Constituent College of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) via Legal Notice No. 161 of 2011. Meru County is a key leader to Kenya’s vibrant co-operative movement. The co-operative movement in Kenya is the strongest movement in Africa and 7th best in the world. It is in this realization and scope of the devolved governance that The Co-operative University College of Kenya is seeking to work with the County Government of Meru to make strong the impetus of the sector. The co-operative aspect is one of the sectors that have been devolved by the government. This is a key pillar to rural and urban development in poverty alleviation. Therefore then, CUCK and Meru County has an opportunity to grab and function on in a speedy logic.