MWALIMU NATIONAL SACCO QUERRIED OVER TEACHERS’ PAY DEDUCTIONS

Members of the Mwalimu National SACCO in Western have expressed their displeasure and threatened to halt their monthly contributions after the SACCO made unauthorized deductions from their salaries.

They stormed Mwalimu SACCO’s Kisumu Branch on Monday demanding for the ouster of the branch leadership.

According to some of the members who were interviewed by The Standard, the SACCO had introduced a loan product for members to buy motorcycles.

What overwhelmed the teachers are the huge unauthorized deductions that the SACCO has been making since the commencement of the repayment period which is more than the initial agreed amount.

EMPTY ACCOUNTS
Speaking on behalf of the members, John Jagongo said they were taken aback when they found their accounts empty despite dividends and salaries having been deposited.

The agreement was that the teachers would pick motorcycles from specified shops and pay for them through SACCO loans. A few months after the purchase, the shops were shut down.

This meant a rough phase for teachers who could not access spare parts for their motorcycles.

On asking the SACCO about it, the managers simply rubbished the idea saying that the members have to continue paying for the loans even if the motorcycles got grounded.

According to Mr Jagongo, some of the teachers had taken up to 15 motorcycles at Kshs 103, 000 each.

The teachers feel betrayed given that they have been committed to the SACCO. Whereas other teachers receive their salaries through bank accounts, members of the Kisumu Mwalimu National SACCO branch have been receiving their salaries through the SACCO.

The branch serves over 400, 000 members hence the most vibrant across the nation.

By yesterday, members were rallying each other to paralyse operations at the branch through social media channels.

Attempts by The Standard to contact the head office in Nairobi proved futile. Several calls to the managers went unanswered and a man who identified himself as the deputy manager said he had received stern instructions not to allow anyone to access the manager’s office.