MP promises to give contracts to cooperative societies

National

By JAMES GUMUNO
Kerowagi MP Bari Palma Open is empowering his people by registering 52 cooperative societies to help themselves.
Palma told a big crowd on Friday at Kewamugl Lutheran High School that his district development authority (DDA) would be giving contracts to cooperative societies.
He said the 52 societies represented all 52 wards in the district.
Palma said they were all registered and would receive their certificates later this year after renovation of the old Kerowagi district headquarters.
“I want people to take ownership of developments and at the same time financially benefit from it,” he said.
He said this was his small-to-medium enterprise (SME) programme to empower his people to help themselves.
Palma said the Kerowagi DDA set up its business arm, Kerowagi Holdings Ltd, to generate income to support district programmes.
He said they would start buying coffee at the old factory at Baraawaghi which he launched last Thursday.
Palma said the factory would process green beans and export directly to oversea.
“Whatever profit we make will support our budget to fund other projects,” he said.
“We will pay school fee subsidies fand also sponsor Grade 12 dropouts.”
Palma said his DDA sponsored 70 Grade 12 dropouts this year to attend Bon Bosco at a cost of K160,000.
He plans to send more dropouts to the technical college.
Palma said Kerowagi allocated money for school fee subsidies.