Mentor SACCO wins Member Management Award

Mentor Deposit-Taking Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (SACCO), a 49-year old Society which was formerly known as Muranga District Teachers Co-operative Society, won the trophy for Best SACCO in Member Management in Kenya.

Mentor SACCO won this award in the category of employer-based SACCOs with assets exceeding KSh 10 billion.

This award was given to Mentor SACCO during this year’s International Co-operatives Day celebrations and gala night, at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi.

Mentor SACCO received this recognition, in addition to clinching two more trophies, as part of the 104th National Ushirika celebrations, the most prestigious event in the calendar of Savings and Credit Co-operative Societies(SACCOs) in Kenya.

Mentor SACCO also picked up another trophy as third Best DT SACCO in technology optimization.

The judges looked at Mentor SACCO’s ICT system that it is currently using, the core functions in use, levels of information security in place, website use by members and the public, channels of communication to members, staff, suppliers and other stakeholders.

The Society was also assessed on the number of active technologically enabled products and services that are available to its members through use of internet, mobile phones apps and USSD. This pillar was vital in ranking Mentor SACCO in terms of technology optimization and how this investment contributed its weight in determining how Mentor SACCO performed

Mentor SACCO also won the trophy for third best in the Most Improved DT SACCO, in the category of employee-based SACCOs with a balance sheet size of more than KSh 10 billion.

The most improved award was arrived after adjudications looked at a combination of all the growth parameters, including membership, capital, deposits, loans, assets and income with different weighting allocated on the various parameters including Membership growth, Capital growth, growth in members’ deposits, Loans disbursed, Loan book growth and Income growth

Two years ago, Mentor SACCO upgraded its core banking system, allowing the Society to modernize its operations, enhance service delivery to its members and remain competitive in a sector where continuous innovation is the order of business.

 “This demonstrates our commitment to continuous improvement and willingness to embrace change in pursuit of excellence by all stakeholders. Moving forward, we intend to leverage the new core banking system to drive operational efficiency and deliver superior member experience,” said Eliud Mbugua, Chairman, Mentor SACCO.

Transforming and going digital has enabled Mentor SACCO to develop innovative solutions and offer its members a superior experience. These include Mentor Quick Cash, digital customer service, automated savings system and online member onboarding.

Currently, more than forty thousand members of Mentor SACCO have been onboarded on the mobile banking platform.

“We are in the era of technology and we would not wish to be left behind by other players in the financial sector. More than three quarters of our transactions are made through our mobile banking platform and we are very happy that our members have kept up with the market trends,” said Joyce Ndegwa, Mentor SACCO Chief Executive Officer.

 Plans are at advanced stages for Mentor SACCO to go paperless, enabling real time loan application, appraisal and disbursement of loans.

Mentor SACCO membership has grown from 22,609 in 2019 to 51,531 in 2025 – a growth of 127.92 %.  The Society’s balance sheet expanded in size from KSh 7.94 billion in 2019, to over KSh 18.5 billion currently- a growth of 133%.

Mentor SACCO has a 2024-2028 strategic plan that aims to push up its membership to over 80,000, revenues above KSh 3 billion and growing its loan book size to KSh 14 billion.

Mentor SACCO was established as Muranga District Teachers Co-operative Society, offering financial solutions to teachers within the then Muranga district.

In its formative years, committee members and employees worked tirelessly devoting their time and money to strengthen the foundation of the Society.

The rebranding to Mentor SACCO has enabled the Society to recruit new members beyond its traditional catchment of teaching professionals, to include others such as business individuals.

The SACCO has since broadened its scope, accommodated diverse membership and enhanced its financial services.

It now attracts civil servants, country government employees, professionals and those in the business community.

To date, Mentor SACCO has grown from a tiny organization to a top tier deposit-taking SACCO and one of the most preferred Sacco within Murang’a County.

With the evolution of the financial services market, Mentor SACCO has transformed to an all-inclusive financial institution to provide loans, advances and FOSA banking, alongside saving deposits to members in Kenya and beyond.

The Society has also increased its presence in various locations in Kenya and currently has branches in Murang’a, Nairobi, Thika, Kenol and Ithanga towns. Mentor also has offices in Kangema, Kangari Kandara, Kiria-ini and Kahuro town centres.

Over the next five years, Mentor Sacco is looking to increase membership and her offerings so as to ‘add value to life’ to its members, consequently becoming ‘the leading Sacco in socio-economic transformation in Kenya and beyond.’

Ms Ndegwa has been instrumental in driving Mentor SACCO’s digitization agenda, including introduction of mobile banking and online services.

She has been the force behind Mentor SACCOs growth strategy and focus that has seen the Society roll out member-centric and innovative products and service offerings. For instance, Mentor SACCO is among the first financial cooperatives to pilot credit scoring as a tool when deciding which members qualify when it is disbursing loans.

 Ms Ndegwa is an experienced hand and a leading woman CEO in the SACCO business, having risen through the ranks from a clerk at Mentor SACCO in 1996.

Ms Ndegwa is in possession of a BCom degree in Finance from KCA University and an Accounting Certification from Kimathi Institute of Education.

At Mentor, the Society uses the credit scoring method when assessing the credit worthiness of those members who are applying for a mobile loan product, which does not require guarantors.

Most SACCOs that provide mobile loans are therefore moving to the credit scoring method as an assessment tool. Mentor is still piloting, testing to see implications of credit scoring assessment when giving out other loan products to members.

Today, Mentor SACCO, which began operations by offering financial solutions to teachers within the original Muranga district, is considered among the most progressive deposit-taking SACCOs in Kenya, with a commanding presence in Nairobi, Muranga, Kiambu and Kajiado Counties.