Evolution And Growth Of Coffee Cooperative Societies In Kipkelion, Kericho County, Kenya: 1923 – 2012

The coffee cooperative sector by tradition has been organized into cooperatives in order to enhance its effectiveness and facilitate regulation. Cooperatives account for an estimated 65 percent of the coffee sector in Kenya. However in the last two decades beginning 1990, in the era of liberalization the ability of the coffee cooperative societies to deliver economic value to its members has raised a lot of concerns and debate. This is mainly because, coffee production declined by 61% in the cooperative sector between 1988 and 1998. Numerous studies have revealed that the coffee cooperative sector as the most mishandled and unproductive. Whether this is true or not required studies of this notion. It was therefore, pertinent to examine the state of coffee cooperative societies in Kipkelion, Kericho County given that Kipkelion was a colonial settlement and the origin of the first cooperative movement in Kenya. This study focused on evolution and growth of coffee cooperative societies in Kipkelion, Kericho County from the period 1923 – 2012. The study traced the emergence of coffee cooperative societies in Kipkelion, Kericho County during the colonial period to 1963; Secondly, it examined the growth and the transformation of the coffee cooperative societies in period of 1964 – 1980 and lastly, it analyzed the effects of Structural Adjustment Programmes and liberalization in the coffee cooperative societies in Kipkelion, Kericho county in the period between 1991 and 2012. Group theory and collective action theory were used with a view to analyze coffee cooperative emergence, growth and transformation. Historical research design was used in the study in which both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used in data collection and analysis. The study was carried out in Kipkelion, Kericho County and covered the areas of Chepkechei, Muhoroni, Forttenan, Koisagat, and Kapngetuny. Purposive sampling and convenience sampling techniques were applied in the selection of the target population. This enabled the researcher to collect data from different respondents. Primary and secondary sources of data were utilized Data analysis was done by organizing data into concepts, themes and periods.