SACCO stands for Savings and Credit Cooperative Organization. Best SACCOs in Kenya are those regulated by SASRA (SACCO Societies Regulatory Authority) since the authority checks on the activities of SACCOs to minimize risks of members losing their hard-earned money. Most SACCOs are managed by a professional committee or delegates elected by members annually or according to the laws of the organization.
SACCOs in Kenya serve the interests of people with similar views; occupational or communal. For example, there are those SACCOs serving only farmers, and those serving only teachers in a given county or region.
Some SACCOs, accept membership from any employed person.
See also: SACCO Paybill Numbers and USSD Codes
When you register with a SACCO, you agree to save a minimum monthly contribution. This instills a saving discipline since you can only withdraw your savings once you exit the SACCO. However, you get to earn yearly dividends on your savings.
In some SACCOs, like Mwalimu National SACCO, the next of keen can take over the running of a member’s account upon the member’s demise, not to mention from the member’s savings doubling.
SACCOs VS Banks in Kenya
How do SACCOs make money? SACCOs make money mostly on the small interest from loans they lend to members.
Some SACCOs also make money by investing in real estate and or selling stocks on the NSE.
SACCOs do not have hidden charges compared to banks in Kenya which have a lot of hidden charges, especially on loans.
The interest rate on SACCO loans is constant despite changing economic times. On the other hand, banks’ interest rates vary within the lifespan of the loan.
This means your loan payment period will be adjusted upwards without any prior notice from the bank.
Most organizations charge an average interest rate of 12% per annum. While banks may charge rates as high as 28%, depending on the interest caps from CBK.
Deposit Taking SACCOs Regulated by SASRA
SASRA is the sole authority in Kenya which issues yearly renewal licenses to deposit-taking SACCOs. Deposit-taking SACCOs DTs are grouped according to the interests they serve;
- Community-Based DT SACCOs
- Government Based DT SACCOs
- Private Based DT SACCOs
- Farmer Based DT SACCOs
- Teacher Based DT SACCOs
By the time of writing this post, SASRA had listed 172 existing deposit taking SACCOs in Kenya.
List of Deposit-Taking SACCOs in Kenya
Here is a list of deposit-taking SACCOs in Kenya regulated by SASRA, ranked in the order of total assets they have.
The first 31 are categorized as large-sized DT SACCOs, the next 58 are Medium-sized and the rest small sized.
- MWALIMU NATIONAL
- STIMA
- KENYA POLICE
- HARAMBEE
- AFYA
- METROPOLITAN
- UNAITAS
- UN
- IMARISHA
- UKULIMA
- TOWER
- INVEST & GROW
- BANDARI
- GUSII MWALIMU
- IMARIKA
- HAZINA
- KENYA BANKERS
- MENTOR
- NEW-FORTIS
- BORESHA
- SAFARICOM
- WINAS
- COSMOPOLITAN
- MAGEREZA
- MOMBASA PORT
- SHERIA
- BINGWA
- KITUI TEACHERS
- OLLIN
- SOLUTION
- TRANS NATION
- NACICO
- WAUMINI
- JAMII
- KWETU
- K-UNITY
- AMICA
- UNISON
- MAISHA BORA
- YETU
- CHAI
- CAPITAL
- FORTUNE
- NYATI
- TAIFA
- SHIRIKA
- TEMBO
- KENPIPE
- KENYA HIGHLAND
- NDEGE CHAI
- NGÁRISHA
- KENVERSITY
- TAI
- ASILI
- EGERTON UNIVERSITY
- THE NOBLE
- GDC SACCO
- NSSF
- QWETU
- NAWIRI
- NATION
- MWITO
- ARDHI
- UKRISTO NA UFANISI WA ANGLICANA
- BIASHARA
- DIMKES
- CHUNA
- AZIMA
- TRANS NATIONAL TIMES
- WAKENYA PAMOJA
- SKYLINE
- WANANDEGE
- KIINGDOM
- TRANS-ELITE COUNTY
- WANANCHI
- TELEPOST
- WANA-ANGA
- SIMBA CHAI
- ELIMU
- TAQWA*
- UNIVERSAL TRADERS
- SOUTHERN STAR
- SMARTLIFE
- SHOPPERS
- FARIDI
- DAIMA
- KITE
- CENTENARY
- ECO-PILLAR
- FUNDILIMA
- MAFANIKIO
- GOOD HOPE*
- AIRPORTS
- 2NK
- PRIME-TIME
- TIMES U
- MUKI
- ORIENT
- COMOCO
- SULUHU
- TABASAMU
- MAGADI
- MMH
- TARAJI
- K-PILLAR
- DHABITI
- THAMANI
- KIMBILIO DAIMA
- BI-HIGH
- WAKULIMA COMMERCIAL
- VISIONPOINT
- NAFAKA
- NYALA VISION
- PATNAS
- JITEGEMEE
- SUPA
- SIRAJI
- COUNTY
- GOLDEN PILLAR
- LAINISHA
- KENYA ACHIEVAS
- NRS
- WEVARSITY
- TABASURI
- BARAKA
- TENHOS
- FARIJI
- VISION AFRIKA
- PUAN
- SMART CHAMPION
- MUDETE FACTORY TEA GROWERS
- UFANISI
- KENCREAM
- NDOSHA
- JOINAS
- NYAMIRA TEA
- STAWISHA
- VIKTAS
- DUMISHA
- NYAMBENE ARIMI
- SOTICO
- LENGO
- LAMU
- STAKE KENYA
- WASHA
- NUFAIKA
- FORTITUDE
- ILKISONKO
- TRANS COUNTIES
- KIPSIGIS EDIS
- ENEA
- JUMUIKA
- BARATON
- KENYA MIDLAND
- RACHUONYO TEACHERS
- AMMAR
- AGRO CHEM
- KOLENGE
- JACARANDA
- NANYUKI EQUATOR
- NANDI FARMERS
- AINABKOI RURAL
- MWIETHERI
- NEXUS
- UNI-COUNTY
- THE APPLE
- BIASHARA TOSHA
- KORU
- GOOD FAITH
- VIHIGA COUNTY FARMERS
- GOODWAY
- UCHONGAJI
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