- The Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA) Quarterly Sacco Sector Stability Report revealed that regulated SACCOs disbursed a total of KSh 115.73 billion in credit in Q1
- Land and housing sectors emerged as the top recipient, with a total of KSh 33.74 billion in credit to SACCO members
- The report highlights the critical role SACCOs play in financing economic activities ranging from crop farming and trade to manufacturing and human health
Elijah Ntongai is an experienced editor at TUKO.co.ke, with more than four years in financial, business, labour and technology research and reporting. His work provides valuable insights into Kenyan, African, and global trends.
The Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority published its Quarterly Sacco Sector Stability Report for the first quarter of 2026.
Source: Twitter
The report provides a comprehensive analysis of credit disbursed to various economic sectors by regulated deposit-taking SACCOs (DT-SACCOs) and non-withdrawable deposit-taking SACCOs (NWDT-SACCOs).
The report shows that SACCOs remain key enablers in facilitating credit to their members, who in turn finance diverse economic activities across the country.
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Why is credit necessary?
Commenting on the need and role of credit access facilitated by SACCOs, Daniel Kathali, an economist, described it as the engine that keeps the economy running.
“In everyday terms, access to credit means being able to borrow money today to do something important that you couldn’t otherwise afford, like paying school fees, buying a plot of land, or stocking a business. When families and small businesses get fair and affordable loans, they can smooth over tough times, invest in better tools or training, and eventually climb out of poverty. For the whole country, credit turns idle savings into working capital, creates jobs, and helps people build a future for themselves. Without credit, even the hardest-working person can stay stuck because they lack the upfront cash to seize an opportunity. That’s why SACCOs are such an important part of the SMEs’ operations as well as households and the informal sector, which lacks access to credit facilities from traditional banks.”
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Total credit disbursed in March 2026 stood at KSh 115.73 billion, reflecting a 16.23% year-on-year increase compared to March 2025, when total disbursements were KSh 99.57 billion.
The growth underscores the expanding role of SACCOs in Kenya’s financial inclusion agenda and their responsiveness to member borrowing needs.
Which economic sectors received the largest loan amounts from SACCOs in Q1 2026?
The table below ranks the top 10 economic sectors and sub-sectors based on loan disbursement figures for March 2026, as reported by SASRA:
Rank | Economic Sub-sector | Loan Amount (KSh billion) |
1 | Education and related services | 24.81 |
2 | Land | 18.45 |
3 | Housing | 15.29 |
4 | Wholesale and Retail Trade | 11.39 |
5 | Crop Farming | 10.03 |
6 | Animal Production | 6.57 |
7 | Consumer Staples | 3.78 |
8 | Servicing Industry (Manufacturing) | 3.40 |
9 | Transport | 2.97 |
10 | Mortgage Finance | 2.64 |
Wholesale and retail trade, which falls under the broader ‘Trade’ sector, received KSh 11.39 billion, indicating that many SACCO members are engaged in small- and medium-sized trading businesses.
Consumer staples such as food and household goods received KSh 3.78 billion, while the servicing industry, including repair and maintenance services, got KSh 3.40 billion.
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Transport, a critical enabler of economic activity, received KSh 2.97 billion. Mortgage finance, though smaller at KSh 2.64 billion, is notable given that SACCOs are increasingly offering mortgage products to members, complementing the land and housing sub-sectors.
How much assets are held by SACCOs?
In other news, Kenya’s regulated deposit-taking and non-withdrawable deposit-taking SACCOs surpassed the KSh 1 trillion mark according to the Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA).
Net loans remained the largest asset category, accounting for 73.36% of total assets at KSh 789.42 billion, reflecting increased lending activity.
Mwalimu National DT SACCO retained its position as the country’s largest SACCO with assets of KSh 68.89 billion, followed closely by Stima DT at KSh 66.51 billion and Kenya National Police DT at KSh 59.83 billion.
Among non-withdrawable deposit-taking SACCOs, United Women led with assets of KSh 6.94 billion, ahead of Kenya Medical Association, Co-operative Bank and Balozi SACCOs.
Source: TUKO.co.ke