Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Rwanda’s co-op sector hires external auditors to tackle managment issues and embezzlement

External auditors and contracted staff are being brought in to Rwanda’s co-operatives to tackle embezzlement and improve management.

The plans were announced by the Rwanda Cooperative Agency (RCA) in a bid to ensure more accountability and efficiency in the movement, Allafrica.com reported. This follows losses suffered by some co-ops because of rampant embezzlement and poor accountability for funds.

RCA director general Apollo Munanura told a news conference in Kigali the agency had advertised positions for external auditors to end mismanagement of co-op members’ funds.

Rwanda has more than 8,000 co-ops, made up of more than three million members – and Munanura said their importance meant management should be tightened.

He said it had been hard for RCA staff to reach every co-op in the country for monitoring but it is also hard for co-ops to supervise themselves.

Embezzlement cases, particularly in Umurenge Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs), had led to the loss of millions of francs.

“We are moving towards transformational agenda,” added Mr Munanura. “We realised that funds of members are mismanaged by heads of co-operatives. But we plan to remove them and hire contracted staff.

“However, change does not come at once and one has to plan and come up with solutions.”

RCA has also introduced new guidelines for motorcylist co-ops, which Mr Munanura said had suffered mismanagement, with members complaining over unjustified contributions imposed without their consent.

Under the new guidelines, Mr Munanura said, motorcyclists pay agreed monthly contributions.

“We focused on collecting contributions, management and use of collected funds because it has been always unclear among operators who used to wonder who collects the money, how much is it and how it is used,” he said.

“We want uniformity in this among all co-operatives and that all the contributions are paid in financial institutions and bank slips are issued to whoever pays their contributions.”

There are more than 240 motorcyclists cooperatives countrywide made up of over 19,500 members regrouped in eight unions.

Celestin Ntaganzwa, head of the federation of motorcyclists in Rwanda, said it is a positive move for RCA to work with external auditors and contracted staff as it would reduce losses incurred due to mismanagement of funds in some cooperatives.

On the new guidelines among motorists’ cooperatives, Ntaganzwa said it would also help improve accountability and service delivery.