The Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (Sasra) reports that women now hold 36.9 per cent of chief executive positions in regulated saccos for 2025.

This figure marks an increase from 33.33 per cent recorded in 2024.

Women’s representation on sacco boards also edged up to 25.5 per cent in 2025, compared with 25.44 per cent the year before.

The rise places the sacco sector ahead of companies listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange, where women occupy roughly 14 per cent of CEO roles.

The Kenya Institute of Management found that women accounted for 32 per cent of chief executive posts across the Kenyan economy in 2025, leaving men with the remaining two-thirds.

In the banking arena, women hold only five of the top executive positions among Kenya’s 38 banks.

A Sasra spokesperson said the marginal increase to 36.9 per cent ensured the sector remained compliant with the constitutional one-third gender rule.

The number of regulated saccos grew from 355 in 2024 to 357 in 2025.

The total count of directors rose from 3,019 to 3,047 over the same period.

Of the 28 additional director seats, women filled nine while men took the remaining 19.

Women directors increased from 768 to 777, and male directors from 2,251 to 2,270.

Consequently, men held 74.5 per cent of board seats at the end of 2025.

Women remain 7.83 percentage points below the one-third benchmark, requiring about 239 extra women directors if the total number of directors stays unchanged.

The modest board gains contrast with the more than three-point rise in female CEOs during the year.

In deposit-taking saccos, women’s share of chief executive roles climbed to 29.05 per cent in 2025 from 24.29 per cent in 2024.

Their share of board seats in that segment held steady at roughly 21.63 per cent, virtually unchanged from 21.64 per cent the previous year.

Sasra noted that deposit-taking saccos are larger and more complex and called for targeted interventions to boost women’s board representation.

Non-withdrawable deposit-taking saccos showed a higher female presence, with women CEOs at 45.14 per cent in 2025 versus 43.21 per cent in 2024.

Board seat share for women in that segment rose marginally from 29.44 per cent to 29.58 per cent.

Sasra explained that sacco boards are responsible for appointing CEOs, subject to regulator approval.

Directors are jointly accountable to sacco members and the regulator for governance matters, making board composition a central oversight element.

The gender imbalance is most pronounced in chairperson roles, which remain largely male-dominated.

Among deposit-taking saccos, women held 14 of 179 chairperson positions in 2025 (7.82 per cent), up from 11 positions (6.21 per cent) in 2024.

In non-withdrawable deposit-taking saccos, women chairpersons fell to 19 from 20, reducing their share from 11.24 per cent to 10.73 per cent.

Women also lost ground in vice-chairperson positions within deposit-taking saccos, dropping from 18.39 per cent in 2024 to 13.71 per cent in 2025.