In its efforts to improve efficiency and service delivery to its growing membership, Kanisa Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (Kanisa SACCO) has launched a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System, Microsoft Dynamics 365, which comes together with an Online Members Portal, Mobile Phone Application and a USSD Short Code. The system has been developed by Microsoft Corporation and implemented by Sure Step Systems and Solutions Limited. Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a business applications platform that combines components of customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP), along with productivity applications and artificial intelligence tool. Kanisa SACCO is only the second SACCO in the country to implement this system.
Speaking at the launch which took place at its offices located at the All Africa Conference of Churches Compound in Westlands, Ann Kioi, Chairperson of Kanisa SACCO said that, “It is an exciting time for Kanisa SACCO as this milestone will greatly help us to improve on our efficiency in the management of our core business which is savings and lending from finances and banking services to customer relations, procurement and human resources among others while at the same time delivering greater value and convenience to our members. We have upgraded our IT infrastructure to support these new services. Further, we are happy to inform our members that this new system has fully automated and computerized KANISA SACCO processes including receipt of application forms, loans appraisal, approval and transfer/ disbursement, guarantor’s notification and regular SMS to our members for real time updates.”
Jackson Kiio, the Group CEO of Sure Step Systems and Solutions echoed her sentiments saying, “Microsoft Dynamics 365 is an all-in-one ERP business management solution that helps you connect your financials, sales, service, and operations to streamline business processes, improve customer interactions, and make better decisions.”
The primary users of the ERP system will be the Staff who key in data from the office. Members will however be able to access the services through the Online Members Portal at https://portal.kanisa-sacco.org:8480 on their mobile phones and desktop.
The Mobile Phone Application is available for download on Google Play Store for Android Devices only. Those who cannot access the app will be able to use the USSD Short Code service by dialing *850# on their mobile phone handsets.
These new platforms will offer members great convenience in the management of their finances held with the SACCO. Members can now view and download their statements and transactions online, make payments to the SACCO from their mobile phones, buy airtime from their Jiokoe Savings Account, view performance of their loans and those they have guaranteed, calculate cost of their loans before applying and get updates from the SACCO among many other services.
Members will receive further education on the use of these new systems during the
SACCO Education Day to be held in September 2019. In the meantime, some informational material has been prepared and will be circulated via email and social media platforms. Members are however informed that since the mobile services are linked to M-Pesa accounts they will be required to complete an authority form before enrollment. A tariff guide on the charges that come with these new services is available.
The Central Management Committee thanks all stakeholders involved for the support given to the process which began in 2017. Members are invited to try out these new services and reach out to the SACCO office through the usual channels in case of any challenges or queries.
Founded by the staff of the All Africa Conference of Churches, Kanisa Savings and Credit Cooperative Society is a membership based financial institution licensed to undertake Back Office Savings Activities.
With the vision to be the leading one-stop financial institution providing diverse products and services for members’ economic empowerment, Kanisa SACCO has continued to pursue its mission which is “to promote thrift, prudent management, member participation, regular education, development of dynamic systems that will ensure growth, security of funds and encourage a positive organizational culture” among its members.
In its 38th year now, the SACCO has grown to have a strong financial base and attracted membership from more than 20 other institutions, both faith-based and non-faith based; as well as many individual contributing members. The current membership stands at more than 2,800 members and still growing, with the promise of supporting its members to bbuild their economic base through saving and borrowing.
The Society has opened its common bond to bring together members of different nationalities living, working and operating in and out of Kenya provided they meet the membership conditions and are willing to adhere to the By-Laws.
Kanisa SACCO has developed and maintains relationships and membership to various Cooperative apex bodies within Kenya; which include the Kenya Union of Savings & Co-operatives Limited (KUSCCO).
The SACCO offers its members different savings vehicles, loan products and services at affordable interest rates and with friendly terms and conditions. Visit www.kanisa-sacco.org to learn more about the SACCO and how you too can benefit.
The 38th Annual General Meeting held at the AACC Desmond Tutu Conference Centre on 9th March 2019 elected new members to the Central Management Committee and Supervisory Committee. Following the subsequent resignation and co-option of new members, the SACCO’s leadership for the year 2019 comprises of the following:
Central Management Committee
- Ann Kioi – Chairperson
- Nelson Opany – Vice Chairperson & Chairperson, Education Committee
- Alice Agunda – Honorary Secretary
- Boniface Maina – Treasurer
- Philip Tuwei – Chairperson, Credit Committee
- Richard Kola – Secretary, Education Committee
- Charles Lwanga – Member, Education Committee
- Sandra Sophy – Member, Credit Committee
- Grace Mwangima – Secretary, Credit Committee
Supervisory Committee
- Joyce Kangogo – Chairperson
- Salome Kihara – Secretary
- Estjer Mwai – Member
With the Society’s current strategic plan (2015-2019) is coming to an end one of the key tasks for the management this year is to undertake a comprehensive review outlining the areas of success as well as challenges and gaps encountered with the goal of developing a new five-year strategy to steer the SACCO to new growth frontiers.
In the spirit of Corporate Social Responsibility, Kanisa SACCO on its Charity Day held on 10 May 2019 brought similes to hundreds of learners with a donation of revision books for Grade 6,7 and 8 pupils at Ndongoro Primary School in Lower Kabete, Nairobi.
According to a report from the school Head Teacher Mrs. Esther K. Mwaura, the school has a total population of 506 pupils (252 boys and 254 girls). With a mean score of 275 marks in the 2018 KCPE, Ndogoro Primary School is the 2nd best performing school in Kabete Sub County. Their target is a mean score of 300 marks in the 2019 KCPE exams.
Among the key challenges the school faces include water shortage, caring for the many needy children and what the school terms as ‘poor parenting’. To address these challenges the school is looking for water tanks to aid in harvesting rain water, uniform and food sponsorship for the children and motivational talks for parents and pupils.
As a contribution, Kanisa SACCO in consultation with school purchased and donated text books for Grades 6, 7 and 8 worth Seventy Thousand Shillings (KES. 70,000). The SACCO team also held mentorship sessions with the pupils aside from meeting the school management to discuss other possible ways of support in future.
The SACCO was represented by 1 member of the Education committee and 2 staff and a member of the SACCO.
It is our hope that this small gesture will help them achieve their mean score target of 300 marks in this year’s KCPE. In addition, the SACCO will continue to liaise with the school to discuss other ways of supporting education of the young children.
Kanisa SACCO has been recognized as the 2nd Most Efficient and 2nd Best Managed Community-Based
SACCO in Kenya at the 2019 Cooperative Alliance of Kenya (CAK) Awards Gala Dinner held on 20 July 2019 at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi as a culmination of the Ushirika Day Celebrations.
This follows a rigorous adjudication process conducted on the SACCO by CAK – the National Apex body for Kenya’s Cooperative Movement for the second year in a row. The process identified and considered SACCO operations under the following seven pillars: membership, finance, credit administration, products and services, governance, information technology, and human resource management.
The awards were presented in the following eight categories: Best in Capitalization; Best in Savings
Management; Best in Credit Management; Most Efficient; Best in Risk Management; Best in technology Optimization; Most Improved and Best Managed.
A combination of the pillars was used to arrive at some award categories. Various weights were allocated to each pillar depending on the category type. For a society to be considered as best managed, it must have excelled in all the above aspects.
This means that the SACCO has been consistent in the delivery of quality services to its membership. Comparing the performances in 2018 and 2019, Kanisa SACCO recorded improvements in seven out of the 8 award categories…
In 2018, Kanisa SACCO also received two awards emerging 2nd Best in Savings Management and 2nd Most Efficient in the Community-Based SACCOs sector. This means that the SACCO has been consistent in the delivery of quality services to its membership. Comparing the performances in 2018 and 2019, Kanisa SACCO recorded improvements in seven out of the 8 award categories, excluding Best in Capitalization, with an overall 10.83% change is the scores awarded.
In the spirit of continuous improvement, the Central Management Committee has since analyzed the reports and put in place measures to improve on the areas the SACCO didn’t perform very well. “The exercise and
related processes are largely credible and useful for the growth and development of any SACCO, so taking part in it is something we take serious as the leadership of Kanisa SACCO. We believe we can record better
performance with better preparations and documentation,” said Nelson Opany, Vice Chairman of Kanisa SACCO during a Strategic Plan brainstorming meeting hld on 21 September 2019.
The SACCO’s adjudication and awarding process is one of the activities undertaken annually by the
cooperative movement in celebration of the International Day of Cooperatives (Ushirika Day) marked on the first Saturday of July every year. This year’s National Ushirika Day Celebrations, at which Kanisa SACCO was well represented, took place on 20 July at the KICC COMESA Grounds, with the H.E President Uhuru Kenyatta as Chief Guest. Next year’s Ushirika Day celebrations will be held on 4th July 2020.
The 2019 Education Day event of the Kanisa SACCO was held on Saturday, 7th September 2019 at the Cooperative Retreat and Conference Centre located within the Cooperative University of Kenya in Karen, Nairobi from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Convened under the theme “managing your wealth and securing your future through healthy living” the event attracted a total of 236 members plus at least 4 potential members.
The content covered in the respective sessions touched on the following topics:
- Overview of SACCO Products, Services and Strategic Partnerships delivered
- Presentation on Kanisa Holdings Limited
- Overview of 2014-2019 Strategic Plan Review process and development of 2020-2024 Strategic plan
- New ERP System (Web Portal, Mobile App, USSD short code)
- Legal and Regulatory Changes in the Cooperative Industry – How are SACCOs Affected and How Should they Respond?
- Remarks from the Department of Cooperatives in the Ministry of Industrialisation by Mr. Njoroge Mwangi, Department of Cooperatives
- Navigating Debts with Increased Default rates and Online Lending: How to stay safe from debt traps and recover your money from loan defaulters
- Diversifying Investments to Accumulate Wealth – Adopting a Multi-stream Approach to Growing your Net Worth
Two of Kanisa SACCO’s strategic partners Kenya Diabetes management and Information Centre and Mwangaza Light were also present to interact with members and showcase their products and services. The Kenya Diabetes Management and Information Centre led by Ms. Salome Njung’e who conducted Diabetes and Hypertension screening for 98 members. Mwangaza Light showcased and sold solar-powered electronic and lighting equipment to members.
Apart from the sessions delivered, 5 former members of the Management were recognized for their service to the SACCO. They include: Bernard Okok, Quinn Kariuki, Wilfred Gitau, Janet Masese and Patrick Gathenya. Every member present also received a Kanisa SACCO branded umbrella as part of our ongoing promotion and marketing activities.
Following calls by the management to ensure the Education Day event was conducted within the approved budget the Education Committee made all efforts to cut down on costs where possible. Despite the challenges experienced with the venue, the event went on uninterrupted. Members present appreciated the choice of topics and the quality of delivery by the facilitators.
The Education Committee held a post event evaluation meeting and discussed what went well, what didn’t go well and proposed recommendations for improvement in the planning of future Education Day events. Additionally, feedback from an evaluation survey sent out to all
members was considered.
