Nominated Senator Martha Wangari has sponsored a bill to regularise registration of self-help associations. According to the bill, an association will only qualify as a self-help group if it consists of at least five people and not more than 40 persons who have attained the age of 18.

The bill proposes that every registered self-help group shall keep the minutes book of the association and account for the money received and spent and its purposes. The groups will also be expected to keep accounts of all purchases and sales of goods, as well as assets and liabilities.

Self-help groups will also be expected to keep a list of members and their fulfilment of responsibilities during the previous financial year. The bill seeks to establish the National and County Steering committees, which will promote and advise the CS on formulation of policy, action plans and guidelines on training and registration.

The National Steering Committee includes a chairperson who will be appointed by the Labour CS, the Treasury PS, the PS responsible for community development and one man and one woman nominated by the federation representing the largest number of self-help groups.

Others will be a representative of the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority, a person nominated by the Association of Micro Finance Institutions and one nominated by Kenya Private Sector Alliance. The bill proposes the office of a registrar and a deputy registrar.