The ICA defines a co-operative as “an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-controlled enterprise”.

Co-operative identity includes the co-operative principles and values. Co-operative policy and legal framework are guided by these values and principles, including most significantly, protecting and fostering the autonomy of co-operatives. As part of the international co-operative movement, all co-operatives in Kenya conduct their business in accordance with internationally shared co-operative values and principles.

Core Functions

• Arising from the constitutional mandate of the National Government to spearhead policy formulation, ensuring standardization and uniformity, the national government and its agencies shall be responsible for:
• Formulation, adoption and implementation of policy and legal framework for the development and growth of all co-operatives in keeping with the overall national development policies and priorities
• Registration and liquidation of co-operative enterprises
• Establishment of uniform standards of the operations of co-operative enterprises, recognition of county co-operative enterprises, cross-county co-operatives enterprises
• Develop and maintain inter-governmental relations framework on co-operative enterprises
• Carry out inquiries, inspections and investigations into the affairs of co-operatives
• Provide oversight to apex, federations, secondary, and cross-county co-operative enterprises
• Regulate co-operative audit services including social and value for money audits
• Promote good governance and ethics on co-operative enterprises
• Formulate co-operative education, training, standards and regulations
• Carry out capacity building to the county Governments
• Promote public private partnership and joint ventures
• Promote and facilitate regional and international co-operative relations
• Establish and maintain a data and information center for co-operatives
• Promote research and development in Co-operatives
• Review and enforce registration requirements from time to time
• Promote harmonization and /or linkages between the movement, the National Government and County Governments through periodic forums