CONSTITUTION AND RULES
1. NAME
The name of the group shall be called KOKURO STAGE COSMOPOLITANT SELF HELP
GROUP (KOSTACO) (in the constitution referred to as the GROUP) and the Head Office
location shall be at KOKURO STAGE P.o Box 413 Sare Awendo.
2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
a) To promote unity and goodwill amongst the members and their families.
b) To support each other socially, financially or otherwise during times of need.
c) The group is non-political and no issue touching on politics will be addressed at any of
the meetings.
d) To eradicate poverty among the members.
3. MEMBERSHIP
 Members of the association will be drawn from Migori, Kisumu and Homa Bay counties
upon payment of a non-refundable registration fee of Kshs.100/= and share capital of
Kshs.1,200/= or any other amount that may be agreed upon by the group through
consensus from time to time.
 Any registration from other interested persons shall be considered upon application and
payment of a non-refundable membership fee of Kshs.100 and share capital of
Kshs.1,200/- or any other amount that may be agreed upon by the group through
consensus from time to time.
 The management committee on the advice from the organizing secretary will reserve the
right to accept or reject any application for membership.
 Upon payment of the membership fee and a cash receipt duly issued by the treasurer of
the group, the members will then embark on payment of Kshs.100/- and Kshs.1,200/= as
will be passed in the general meetings.
 The monthly subscription shall be uniform to all members at all times and may be
reviewed from time to time in a general meeting at the request of more than 66% of the
members of the group.
4. SOURCES OF FINANCE
Finances of the self-help group will be realized primarily from: Registration membership fee
 Monthly contribution
 Share capital contributions
 Fines from late comers and absentees
Other sources of income will be :
Harambees or fund raisings

Any income generating activities as proposed by the members
The finances of the project shall be deposited in savings account with the bank preferred by
members.
5. MEMBER’S RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS
a) Every member has right to information concerning the group at any time.
b) One thousand Shillings (Kshs.1000/=) will be contributed by each member in case of the
death of a member.
c) Five hundred Kshs. (500/-) in case of death of a spouse or a member of a nuclear family.
d) Every member be registered with NHIF.
e) In case of Death of member the share capital shall be given to the preferred beneficiary.
6. OFFICE BEARERS
a) The office of the group shall be:i) The chairperson
ii) The Deputy Chairperson
iii) The secretary
iv) The Deputy Secretary
v) The Treasurer
vi) Organizing Secretary
This shall be occupied by fully paid-up members of the group and shall be elected at an Annual
General Meeting to be held at an appropriate time in each year. There shall be a patron of the
group, in which case shall be a suitable person as the group may deem reasonably suitable.
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
All office bearers shall hold from the time of election until succeeding Annual General
meeting subject to the condition contained in some paragraphs (d) and (e) of this rule but
shall be eligible for re-election, but not exceeding three years.
Any office bearer who ceases to be a member of the Group shall automatically cease to
be an office bearer thereof.
Office bearers may be voted out of the office in the same way as laid out for the
explosion of members in rule 3(d) and vacancies thus created shall be filled by persons
elected at the General Meeting resolving the expulsion.
Any members of the Management Committee may be appointed to act in any of the
above offices if the occupant is unable, due to a reasonable cause, to attend a scheduled
meeting.
Elected officials and committee members will hold office for a period of three years
from the date of election and at the end of their term in office an annual general meeting
will be convened where audited account of the self-help group will be read and fresh
g)
elections of office bearers will be held. Office bearers can hold office for a maximum of
two (2) terms of three years each.
Interested candidate for any post will require a proposer and a seconder whose names
must appear in the minutes of the meeting. One can be re-elected in a different position
after serving for two terms in office.
DUTIES OF OFFICE BEARERS
a) CHAIRPERSON
The chairperson shall, unless prevented by illness or others sufficient cause, preside over
all the meetings of the committee and General Meetings.
b) DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON
In the absence of the chairperson shall, unless prevented by illness or other sufficient
cause, preside over all the meetings of the committee and General Meetings.
c) SECRETARY
The secretary shall deal with all correspondences of the group under the general
supervision of Management Committee. In case of urgent matters where the committee
cannot be consulted, she shall consult the deputy chairperson or any designated member.
The decision reached shall be subjected to ratification or otherwise at the next
management committee meeting. He/she shall issue notices convening all meetings of the
committee and general meetings of the group and shall be responsible for keeping
minutes of all such meetings and for the preservation of all records of proceedings of the
group and the committee.
d) DEPUTY SECRETARY
In the absence of the secretary, shall undertake the functions as in section 5(d)
e) TREASURER
The Treasurer shall receive and also disburse under the directions of the Committee, all
funds belonging to the project and shall issue receipts for all such funds received by the
office and preserve and or any other documentary evidence for all financial transactions.
f) ORGANIZING SECRETARY
Shall be responsible for recruitment of a new member and the maintenance of good
relation between the various arms and organs of the self-help group and the entire
membership.
Shall organize the venues of meetings and or get together, sitting capacity and
arrangements, refreshment if any, entertainment where necessary in liaison with the
treasurer and the committee.
Shall be responsible for the renewal of any operating license and or permits as required
by the law or by the group at the specific times in conjunction with the secretary and the
treasurer as appropriate.
g) SIGNATORIES TO THE ACCOUNT
Signatories to the account shall be
 The Chairperson
 The Secretary
 The Treasurer
Any two can withdraw, but the treasurer is a mandatory signatory for any withdrawal to
be effected.
7. CREDIT COMMITTEE
The credit committee shall comprise of all office bearers and three other members elected or
nominated at the General Meeting. Such committee members shall hold office till next
Annual General Meeting. The Credit committee shall be responsible for all loans applications
and repayment.
Any vacancies in the committee caused by death or resignation shall be filled by an
appropriate committee member decided upon at the General Meeting.
8. MEETINGS
There shall be;
 General meetings held after every fort night.
 Executive meetings to be held at any time as may be determined by the members.
 Special/emergency meetings to be held when there are emergency matters to be
discussed.
 Special Annual General Meetings to be held every year.
 All meetings are mandatory and a member will only be allowed two consecutive
apologies for not attending the meetings.
 One who arrives late for the meeting i.e. after 4:00pm will pay Kshs. 10 and one who is
absent with or without apology will pay Kshs. 30.
 The quorum for the meeting will be simple majority of registered members.
9. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Any amendment to constitutional can only be carried out in a general meeting comprising of
at least two thirds (2/3) of the paid up members and the department of the social services
duly informed of such amendment that have been effected.
10. CEASATION OF MEMBERSHIP
A member will be assumed to have resigned or left the group if:-
i) His/her monthly contributions will not have been remitted to the self-group for three
consecutive months without logical explanation.
ii) He/she will have resigned his/her membership in writing to the secretary who must
respond in writing within fourteen (14) days upon the receipt of the letter.
iii) He/she will be deemed by the executive to be unsuitable for continued membership due
to any/all of the following reasons.
 Gross misconduct, indiscipline, disrespect or any other disciplinary case deemed
justifiable by members or executive.
 Erratic monthly contribution
 Fraudulent claim for competition
 Unstable mental condition
NOTE:
In the first two cases above, namely i & iii the affected members shall receive one verbal
warning followed by one written warning before membership is revoked by approval of full
members.
11. INSPECTION O F ACCOUNT AND LIST OF MEMBERS
The books of account and all documents relating to thereto and a list of members of the
group shall be available for inspection at the registered office of the group by any officer or
member of the group on giving not less than seven days (7) notice in writing to the group.
12. DISSOLUTION OF THE SELF-HELP GROUP
The self-help group shall dissolve in a meeting supported by all the duly registered members.
13. CUSTODY OF THE CONSTITUTION
The secretary shall be custodian of the constitution.