THE LANGATA1

MAIN
SELF HELP
GROUP
CONSTITUTION

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 THE LANGATA 1 MAIN

CONSTITUTION
.

Article I: Name, Mission, and Vision

Section 1: Name
The organization shall be known as Langata 1 Main, herein referred to as the Self-
Help Group.

Section 2: Mission
To empower members through collaboration, shared resources, and mutual support,
fostering sustainable growth, financial independence, and community development.

Section 3: Vision
To create a thriving, self-reliant community where members achieve their personal
and collective goals, enhancing the quality of life for all.
Article 2: Objectives

 Promote Financial Empowerment:

Facilitate access to financial resources through savings, loans, and income-
generating activities to improve members' economic well-being.
 Encourage Skill Development:
Organize training programs to enhance members' skills in entrepreneurship,
leadership, and sustainable practices.
 Foster Social Support:
Build a strong network where members support each other emotionally,
socially, and professionally to overcome challenges.
 Encourage Community Development:
Undertake initiatives that contribute to the welfare of the community, such as
education, health, and environmental projects.
 Promote Gender Equality and Inclusivity:
Advocate for equal opportunities and ensure all members, regardless of gender
or background, have access to group benefits.
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  Enhance Group Cohesion:
Strengthen relationships among members through regular meetings,
transparency, and collective decision-making.
 Improve Access to Opportunities:
Connect members with resources, information, and partnerships that help them
achieve their individual and group goals.
 Advocate for Members' Rights:
Represent members' interests in relevant forums and work to ensure fair
treatment and access to essential services.

Article 3 Membership

3.1 A given number of neighbours and friends shall be eligible for membership of
the Group and shall, subject to the approval of the committee, become a
member on payment of a membership fee of KShs 500/= and upon signing
their name to the official membership list of the Group. The group may from
time to time review this requirement for membership to accommodate other
people with similar vision to the founding members.

3.2 Every member shall pay the obtaining monthly subscription fee not later than
the 5th day of following month.

3.3 Membership to the group may be terminated on Resignation, death, expulsion

and/or dissolution of the group. Any member desiring to resign from the Group
shall submit her resignation to the Committee, which shall take effect from the
date of receipt by the Committee of such notice but shall be ratified at a
General/Special meeting.

3.4 Any member may be expelled from membership if the committee so

recommends. This shall be arrived at if a general meeting of the Group
resolves by a two-thirds majority of the members present that such a member
should be expelled because her conduct has adversely affected the reputation
or dignity of the Group, or that she has contravened any of the provisions of
the constitution of the Group. The committee shall have power to suspend a
member from her membership until the next general or special meeting of the
Group. Following such suspension but notwithstanding such suspension, a
member whose expulsion is proposed shall have the right to address a general
or special meeting at which her expulsion is to be considered.

3.5 Any person who resigns or is removed from membership shall be entitled to a
refund of her subscription or any part thereof or any moneys contributed by her
and/or any profits accruing at any time but subject to the contractual
obligations of the business and/or investment portfolios entered into.

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3.6 Any member who falls into arrears with her quarterly subscriptions for more
than one quarter shall be suspended. The Committee shall then deliberate the
decision for her expulsion. The committee may, however, at its discretion,
reinstate such member on payment of the total amount of subscription
outstanding.

Article 4 The Committee

4.1 A committee shall conduct the business of the Group.

4.2 The committee of the Group shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting,
or, if necessary, at an Extraordinary General Meeting.

4.3 The committee shall consist of all the office bearers of the society including
their deputies and two (2) other members elected at the annual general meeting
in each year; such committee members shall hold office until the following
annual general meeting. The committee shall meet at such times and places as
it shall resolve but shall meet not less than once in any three months.

4.4 Any vacancies for member of the committee shall be filled at the annual
general meeting of the Group. Vacancies caused by members of the committee
removed from office shall be dealt with as shown in rule 5.4 below.

Article 5 Office Bearers

5.1 The office bearers of the Group shall be the Chairman, the Secretary the
Treasurer and their Assistants. They all shall be fully paid-up members of the
group and shall be elected after every two years at the annual general meeting
to be held in each year.

5.2 All office bearers shall hold office for two years from the date of election until
the succeeding annual general meeting subject to the conditions contained in
sub-paragraphs (5.3) and (5.4) of this rule but shall be eligible for re-election.

5.3 Any office bearer who ceases to be a member of the society shall automatically
cease to be an office bearer thereof.

5.4 Office bearers may be removed from office in the same way as is laid down for
the expulsion of members in Article 3.4 and persons elected at the general
meeting resolving the expulsion shall fill vacancies thus created.

Article 6 Duties of Office Bearers

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a) Chairperson – the Chairperson shall, unless prevented by illness or other
sufficient cause, preside over all meetings of the committee and at all general
meetings.

b) Secretary – shall deal with all the correspondence of the group under the
general supervision of the committee. In cases of urgent matters where the
committee cannot be consulted, she shall consult the Chairperson. The
decision reached shall be subject to ratification or otherwise at the next
committee meeting. She shall issue notices convening all meetings of the
committee and all general meetings of the Group and shall be responsible for
keeping minutes of all such meetings and for the preservation of all records of
proceedings of the Group and of the committee.

c) Treasurer – the Treasurer shall receive and shall also disburse, under the
directions of the committee, all moneys belonging to the Group and shall issue
receipts for all moneys received by her and preserve vouchers for all moneys
paid by her. The Treasurer is responsible to the committee and to the members
that proper books of account of all moneys received and paid by the Group are
written up, preserved and available for inspection.

d) Two Ex-Officio Members - Shall participate in the management meetings and

bring out issues that the other office bearers would ordinarily not raise by
virtue of their portfolios.

Article 7 Duties of the Committee

7.1 The committee shall be responsible for the management of the Group and for
that purpose may give directions to the office bearers as to the manner in
which, within the law, they shall perform their duties. The committee shall
have power to appoint such sub-committees, as it may deem desirable to make
reports to the committee upon which such action shall be taken as seems to the
committee desirable.

7.2 All moneys disbursed on behalf of the Group shall be authorized by the
committee except as specified in Article 12.4

7.3 The quorum for meetings of the committee shall be not less than one-half of
the members.

Article 8 General Meetings

8.1 There shall be two classes of general meetings – annual general meeting and
special general meeting.

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8.2 (i) The annual general meeting shall be held not later than the second Saturday
of December in each year. Notice in writing of such annual general meetings,
accompanied by the annual statement of account (see Article 10.2 and the
agenda for the meeting shall be sent to all members not less that 21 days before
the date of the meeting.
(ii) The agenda for any annual general meeting shall consist of the following:

(a) Confirmation of the minutes of the previous annual general

meeting.
(b) Consideration of the accounts.
(c) Election of office bearers and the committee members
(d) Appointment of auditors in accordance with Article 10.1.
(e) Such other matters as the committee may decide or as to which
notice shall have been given in writing by a member or members to
the secretary at least four weeks before the date of the meeting.
(f) Any other business with the approval of the Chairman.

8.3 A special general meeting may be called for any specific purpose by the
committee. Notice in writing of such meeting shall be sent to all members not
less than 7 days before the date thereof.

8.4 A special general meeting may also be requisitioned for a specific purpose by
order in writing to the secretary of not less than five (5) members and such
meetings shall be held with 21 days of the date of the requisition. The notice
for such meeting shall be as shown in Article 8.3 and no matter shall be
discussed other than stated in the requisition.

8.5 Quorum for general meetings shall be not less than a half of the registered
members of the Group.

Article 9 Procedure at Meetings

9.1 At all meetings of the Group the Chairperson, or in her absence, her Assistant
or a member selected by the meeting shall take the chair.
9.2 The Chairperson may at her discretion limit the number of persons permitted to
speak in favour of and against any motion.
9.3 Resolutions shall be decided by simple voting by a show of hands. In the case
of equality of votes, the Chairperson shall have a second casting vote.
However, the Constitution of the society shall be amended by at least two-
thirds of members present and voting.

Article 10 Auditor

10.1 An auditor shall be appointed for the following year by the annual general
meeting. All the Group’s accounts, records and documents shall be opened to

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 the inspection of the auditor at any time. The Treasurer shall produce an
account of his receipts and payments and a statement of assets and liabilities
made up to a date, which shall not be less than two weeks and not more than
one month before the date of the annual general meeting. The auditor shall
examine such annual accounts and statements and either clarify that they are
correct, duly vouched and in accordance with the law or report to the Group in
what respect they are found to be incorrect, unvouched or not in accordance
with the law.

10.2 A copy of the auditor’s report on the accounts and statements together with
such accounts and statements shall be furnished to all members at the same
time as the notice convening the annual general meeting is sent out. An
auditor may be paid such honorarium for his duties as may be resolved by the
annual general meeting appointing him.

10.3 No auditor shall be an office bearer or a member of the of the Group.

Article 11 Funds

11.1 The funds of the Group may only be used for the following purposes –

i. Invested in various businesses for income generation to the

group.
ii. Invested in acquisition of property for profit to the group.
iii. Any other purpose that the members may deem appropriate and
in keeping with the Group’s objects.

11.2 All moneys and funds shall be received by and paid to the Treasurer and shall
be deposited by her in the name of the Group in any bank or banks approved
by the committee.

11.3 No payments shall be made out of the bank account without a resolution of the
committee authorizing such payment. The Mandate shall be for two office
bearers who shall be nominated by the Committee.

11.4 A sum not exceeding KSh.5000/= may be kept by the Treasurer for petty
disbursements of which proper account shall be kept.

a) The committee shall have power to suspend any office bearer who it has
reasonable cause to believe is not properly accounting for any of the funds
or property of the Group and shall have power to appoint another person in
her place. Such suspension shall be reported to a general meeting to be
convened on a date not later than two months from the date of such
suspension and the general meeting shall have full power to decide what
further action should be taken in the matter.

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 b) The financial year of the society shall be from 1st January to 31st December.

Article 12 Amendments to the Constitution

Amendments to the constitution of the Group must be approved by at least a

two-thirds majority of members at a general meeting of the Group. They
cannot, however, be implemented without the prior consent in writing of the
Director of Social Services, obtained upon application to him made in writing
and signed by three of the office bearers.

Article 13 Dissolution

13.1 The Group shall not be dissolved except by a resolution passed at a general
meeting of members by a vote of two-thirds of the members present. The
quorum at the meeting shall be as shown in Article 8.5. If no quorum is
obtained, the proposal to dissolve the Group shall be submitted to a further
general meeting, which shall be held one month later. Notice of this meeting
shall be given to all members of the Group at least 14 days before the date of
the meeting. The quorum for this second meeting shall be the numbers
present.
13.2 Provided, however, that no dissolution shall be effected without prior
permission in writing of the Commissioner, obtained upon application to him
made in writing and signed by the three office bearers.
13.3 When the dissolution of the Group has been approved by the Director of Social
Services, no further action shall be taken by the committee or any office bearer
of the Group in connection with the aims of the society other than to get in and
liquidate for cash all the assets of the Group. Subject to the payment of all the
debts of the Group, the balance thereof shall be distributed in such other
manner as may be resolved by the meeting at which the resolution for
dissolution is passed.

Article 14 Inspection of Accounts and List of Members

The books of account and all documents relating thereto and a list of members
of the society shall be available for inspection at the registered office of the
Group by any officer or member of the Group on giving not less than seven
days notice in writing to the Group.

BY-LAWS
a. Lateness and absenteeism

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 i. Anyone who will be late, which means less 30 minutes later after
the agreed starting time, should pay Kshs.100 and Ksh 100 after
30min fine and state why he/she was late.
ii. Each member has three (2) chances to be absent each financial
year, with or without apology. Therefore, when a member is absent
(with or without apology) after exhausting the three chances,
he/she will be legible to pay a penalty of Kshs. 100 directly to
treasurer.
iii. All apologies for lateness and absenteeism should be directed to
the Chairperson or the Secretary, 12 hours before the starting time
of the set meeting.

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