Marsabit County will join the rest of the nation on Saturday, July 4, 2026, to mark Kenya’s 104th Ushirika Day.
While the national event will be held at Uhuru Park in Nairobi, Marsabit’s celebrations will be hosted at Marsabit Stadium and presided over by Governor Mohamud Mohammed Ali.
This year’s theme, “Cooperatives for a Peaceful World,” spotlights the sector’s economic strength.
Kenya is ranked 1st in Africa and 7th globally in cooperative development.
Speaking to journalists in his office, County Executive Committee Member for Trade, Tourism, Industry and Cooperative Development, Jeremy Ledany, said the county will use the day to create mass awareness on how cooperatives can drive Marsabit’s economic agenda.
“We will use this event to link cooperatives across different value chains; fisheries, livestock products, fodder production, gold mining, gums and resins, among others.” Ledany said.
He added that the Trade and Cooperative department will also facilitate networking so cooperatives can exchange contacts and access new markets for their products.
The department will also use the event to register new societies. Ledany noted that many Voluntary- Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) are being encouraged to graduate into full cooperative societies.
“We want to graduate and move VSLAs to a whole cooperative society. Cooperative society will benefit members more compared to a VSLA.” he said.
County Director Cooperative Development Department, Boru Sarapana said over 300 cooperatives have been registered in Marsabit, with most of them active.
The department has also conducted sensitization and training, reaching over 70% of members, and 100% of groups during pre-cooperative training.
However, Sarapana noted that the sector still faces challenges, particularly with registration processes and linking cooperatives to markets. “Events like Ushirika Day are part of our strategy to address those gaps.” he said.
Kenya’s cooperative movement remains one of the strongest in Africa, with millions of members in SACCOs, agriculture, housing, transport, fisheries, dairy, coffee, tea, and emerging digital cooperatives.
Together, the sector contributes significantly to national GDP while creating jobs and improving household livelihoods.
Exhibitions from SACCOs, financial institutions, NGOs, and both state and non-state actors are expected at the Marsabit Stadium event.
