The project aims at strengthening Kenya Cotton Growers Association in terms of both organizational development and capacity building. Its ultimate aim is to improve efficiency and effectiveness of services to its clients, which are formal member associations as well as informal groups. The PO aims to achieve this through development of a strategic plan that will help the organization in the prioritization of organizational activities. Secondly, KCGA wants leaders elected at District level to be trained in order to effectively and efficiently carry out their roles. Approximately 10 – 12 local Associations that are relatively well organised, will be involved in both strategy meeting and leadership training. For this purpose KCGA needs additional central resources. The organisation approaches Agriterra with request to fully finance a second project, budget approx EUR 30.000.

KCGA, founded in 2001, is the only national cotton farmers’ representation body. Its objectives are to provide an inclusive, participatory and consultative forum in production and marketing for cotton growers, in production and marketing. PROBLEM KCGA has not been able to engage and effectively dialogue with its constituency, by lack of resources and systems. This is manifested in the fact the association does not receive subscriptions from its members. With the upturn in the industry and textile sector the fortunes of the farmer are a changing and the farmers ground for a good membership based. More plausible explanation is that the farmers have not been made aware of the roles KCGA is playing to their benefits. Farmers consultation exercises, to be held as pilot in 3 representative cotton growing districts [districts Baringo (Valley), Mbeere (?), Lamu (Coast)] aim at creating an understanding between farmers and the associations. This in turn will enable the association to become more responsive to its constituency needs. It also aims at selling the organization to farmers so that they can enroll for membership and subsequently support the organization financially through subscriptions. OBJECTIVES The overall objective of the member’s consultation process is to strengthen the KCGA by making it more responsive to its constituency. Secondary objectives are : development of a sustainable income based on a.o. membership fees; recruitment of members; strengthening the KCGA by the set-up of clear membership feedback system; Strengthening Internal Democracy. See simple logical framework in proposal. METHODS Main method is open discussion meetings at the community level between KCGA officials and the farmers or farmers groups. A structured questionnaire will be administered to the existing farmers groups to gather information on expectations, membership and leadership. Back up will be provided by SNV and consultants. The process will also borrow best practices from other commodity producer groups as well as KENFAP.