Sacco is the short form of Savings and Credit Co-operative Society. When they are many, they are Saccos. These are nonprofit financial organizations, similar to credit unions in operations, which work towards the financial well-being of their members by offering slightly cheap conditions on their loan products than traditional banks.
When comparing Saccos and banks, they are similar in some functionalities as they both offer a variety of deposit accounts, high-yield savings accounts, loans, credit accounts, and even checking accounts, with a number of them giving ATM and debit cards to their members.
However, Saccos differ from banks in that they are categorized as nonprofit financial institutions, investing back a significant portion of interests earned from loans into the products they offer or pay as dividends to members, unlike banks which invest their interests elsewhere, for example, in real estate and government security and give profits to shareholders.
Since Saccos are owned by members, some Saccos accept membership from only a category of people; for instance, for the United Nations DT Sacco, only the staff of United Nations Agencies, Diplomatic Missions, and their immediate family members can join, but there are Saccos which welcomes everybody to join as long as you meet the laid out eligibility requirements.
To join a Sacco in Kenya, you need a National ID card or passport, KRA PIN, passport-sized photograph, and an opening deposit which varies from one credit union to another. These Saccos are licensed by the government agency Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA), the regulator of all the Deposit Taking and Specified Non-Deposit Taking Sacco Societies in Kenya.
If you want to be a member of these Saccos and you are in Nairobi, ensure you join a SASRA-licensed Sacco to guarantee the safety of your deposit and benefit from reasonable interest rates as a member:
Which Saccos are licensed by SASRA in Nairobi? (2023)
These are depoit-taking Saccos in Nairobi which received an operational license from the Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority for a period starting from January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023:
| No. | Name of the licensed Sacco | Physical location in Nairobi |
| 1 | Afya Sacco Society Ltd | Afya Centre, Tom Mboya Street |
| 2 | Airports Sacco Society Ltd | Airports Sacco Building, JKIA |
| 3 | Ardhi Sacco Society Ltd | Survey of Kenya Field HQ, off Thika Road |
| 4 | Asili Sacco Society Ltd | Asili Co-op Centre, Ngara |
| 5 | Chai Sacco Society Ltd | KTDA Plaza, Moi Avenue |
| 6 | Chuna Sacco Society Ltd | Engineering Department UON, Harry Thuku Road |
| 7 | Defence Sacco Society Ltd | Department of Defence HQ, Hurlingham |
| 8 | Elimu Sacco Society Ltd | Elimu House, Mubiru Road, South B |
| 9 | Harambee Sacco Society Ltd | Harambee Co-op Plaza, Haile Selassie Avenue |
| 10 | Hazina Sacco Society Ltd | Hazina Sacco Place, Kibera Road |
| 11 | Jamii Sacco Society Ltd | Jamii Sacco Court, South B |
| 12 | Kencream Sacco Society Ltd | Creamery House, Dakar Road |
| 13 | Kenpipe Sacco Society Ltd | Kenpipe Plaza, Industrial Area |
| 14 | Kenversity Sacco Society Ltd | Kenversity Plaza, Kahawa Sukari |
| 15 | Kenya Bankers Sacco Society Ltd | Kenya Bankers Sacco Centre, 3rd Ngong Avenue |
| 16 | Kenya National Police DT Sacco Society Ltd | Kenya Police Sacco Plaza, Ngara Road |
| 17 | Kimisitu Sacco Society Ltd | AEA Plaza, Valley Road |
| 18 | Kingdom Sacco Society Ltd | Empower House, Githurai 45 |
| 19 | Magereza Sacco Society Ltd | Mageso Chambers 1st floor, Moi Avenue |
| 20 | Maisha Bora Sacco Society Ltd | Unilever Kenya Office, Industrial Area |
| 21 | Metropolitan National Sacco Society Ltd | Chai House, Koinange Street |
| 22 | Mwalimu National Sacco Society Ltd | Mwalimu Towers, Upperhill |
| 23 | Mwito Sacco Society Ltd | Mwito House, Desai Road |
| 24 | Nacico Sacco Society Ltd | Nacico Plaza, Landhies Road |
| 25 | Nafasi DT Sacco Society Ltd | NCPB Nairobi Grain silos Complex, Donholm |
| 26 | Nation DT Sacco Society Ltd | 1st floor Cambrian Building, Moi Avenue |
| 27 | NSSF Sacco Society Ltd | Social Security House, Bishops Road |
| 28 | Nyati Sacco Society Ltd | Odyssey Plaza, South B |
| 29 | Safaricom Sacco Society Ltd | Safaricom Care Centre, Westlands |
| 30 | Sheria Sacco Society Ltd | Sheria Sacco House, Matumbato Close |
| 31 | Shirika DT Sacco Society Ltd | Shirika Co-op House, Kipande-Ngara Road |
| 32 | Shoppers Sacco Society Ltd | Nature House, Tom Mboya Street |
| 33 | Stima DT Sacco Society Ltd | Stima Sacco Plaza, Parklands |
| 34 | Strategic Urembo Sacco Society Ltd | Lunga Lunga Square, Industrial Area |
| 35 | Taqwa Sacco Society Ltd | Jamia Plaza, Kigali Street |
| 36 | Telepost Sacco Society Ltd | Nairobi City Square Post Office |
| 37 | Tembo Sacco Society Ltd | Tembo Sacco Complex, Garden Estate Road, Ruaraka |
| 38 | Ufanisi DT Sacco Society Ltd | Development House, Moi Avenue |
| 39 | Ukristo Na Ufanisi wa Anglicana Sacco Society Ltd | ACK Emmanuel Church, Riruta |
| 40 | Ukulima Sacco Society Ltd | Ukulima Co-operative House, Nairobi City Centre |
| 41 | Unaitas Sacco Society Ltd | Cardinal Otunga Plaza, Kaunda Street |
| 42 | Ushuru Sacco Society Ltd | Ushuru Sacco Centre, Kilimani |
| 43 | United Nations Sacco Society Ltd | UN Sacco Building, Gigiri |
| 44 | Wana-anga Sacco Society Ltd | Meteorological HQ, Ngong Road |
| 45 | Wanandege Sacco Society Ltd | Wanandege Plaza, Embakasi |
| 46 | Waumini Sacco Society Ltd | Applewood Adams Building, Adams Arcade |
SASRA: The table above shows the 46 licensed deposit-taking Saccos in Nairobi as of 2023.
