RANGELANDS SACCO OFFERING PASTORALISTS A LIFELINE
Pastoralist communities who have struggled against the harsh realities of unpredictable rainfall that cause recurring droughts that cause Livestock losses now have a renewed hope.
The formation of a Rangelands SACCO that is serving more than 7,000 members across ten counties within conservation areas in Kenya, has become a critical safety net for livestock owners seeking financial stability.
Speaking at Achers post Samburu during a member general meeting to mark ten years since the SACCO began, Kelvin Galmogle, Chairman of the Supervisory Committee, said financial illiteracy has long remain elusive among many pastoralists thus preventing them from benefitting from formal financial institutions.
Many pastoralists were effectively locked out of banking services due to limited knowledge of savings, credit, and investment systems, and lack of trust toward such institutions.
Galmogle said the Rangelands SACCO policies and financial products have been tailored to suit their unique lifestyle and income patterns. Unlike mainstream financial institutions, the SACCO is offering flexible savings and credit facilities designed to accommodate the seasonal nature of livestock-based economies.
Beyond financial services, the SACCO is also playing a proactive role in helping members minimize losses during difficult seasons. Through collaboration with conservancy management teams, members receive early warnings about expected weather patterns. This information helps them make informed decisions on whether to sell livestock before drought strikes or hold onto their animals when conditions are favorable.
As a result, many pastoralists have learned to sell their animals when market prices are strong and access credit to restock when prices are low. This strategic approach has significantly improved profitability for those involved as well as helping animal owners transition to alternative livelihoods like trading in other commodities and the transport sector.
Stephen Momani from Laikipia said he became a member of the SACCO while he was still a youth due to the trust it offered him on his finances.
Momani who has since reverted to Bodaboda business said that he is a beneficiary of credit facilities from the SACCO which help him to transition to alternative business apart from just keeping livestock.
Momani said that the SACCO has boosted his livestock sales and cushioned him from losses that he could have gotten into as a result of drought.
Immaculate Naitele from Laisamis, said she has been a member of the SACCO for the last one and half years said she has seen the benefits of saving money through the SACCO after getting fifty thousand shilling in dividends from her savings.
Naitele who runs a shop had never been working with a financial institution before enrolling to be a member of the Rangelands SACCO.