By the Jalika team
A welfare group is members agreeing to support each other, usually through bereavement, illness or other hard times, by contributing regularly into a shared fund. Getting the foundations right at the start saves arguments later, especially when the first claim comes in.
This guide walks through the steps most welfare groups in Kenya follow. It is general information, not legal advice: registration rules and fees change, so confirm the current requirements with the registering office before you apply.
1. Agree on why the welfare exists
Before anything else, the founding members should agree in plain words on what the welfare is for. Common purposes are:
- Supporting members when they lose a spouse, child, parent or other dependant
- Helping members with hospital bills
- Supporting members at weddings, graduations or other milestones
- Building savings that the group may invest later
Write the purpose down. It becomes the objectives clause of your constitution and helps you say no to requests the welfare was never meant to cover.
2. Bring the founding members together
Hold a founding meeting and record who attended. Most groups start with people who already know and trust each other: a church, a workplace, a village, an estate, school alumni or a community abroad. At this meeting, agree on:
- Who can join, and whether new members need to be recommended by an existing member
- The registration fee and the monthly contribution
- Interim officials to run the process until the first election
Keep minutes. If you register later, the registering office may ask for them.
3. Write your constitution
The constitution is the rulebook everyone signs up to. It should cover membership, contributions, benefits, dependants, waiting periods, arrears, officials, meetings, how money is handled and how the constitution can be changed. Our sample welfare group constitution gives you a full set of clauses to adapt.
Pay particular attention to the bereavement rules: who counts as a dependant, how much is paid for each, and how long a new member must wait before they can claim. These are the clauses that cause the most disputes.
4. Elect officials
At a minimum you need a chairperson, a secretary and a treasurer. Many welfares add a vice chairperson, an organising secretary and two or three committee members. Agree on terms of office (often two or three years) and on how officials can be replaced.
The single most important rule: no one person should be able to approve and pay out money alone. Require at least two signatories on the bank account and a clear approval process for benefits.
5. Register the welfare
Registration gives the welfare legal recognition, makes it easier to open a bank account and paybill, and reassures members. Which route applies depends on the kind of group you are:
- Societies such as welfare associations, alumni associations and many church or community welfares commonly register with the Registrar of Societies, applying online through eCitizen.
- Community groups such as self-help groups, women’s groups, youth groups and chamas are covered by the Community Groups Registration Act, 2022, and register through the county and sub-county social development offices.
Typical requirements include the group’s name, the constitution, the list of officials with their ID details, minutes of the meeting that approved registration and the application fee. Check the current list, fees and processing time with the office before applying. Your sub-county Social Development Officer can tell you which route fits your group.
6. Open a bank account and get a paybill
Open a group bank account with at least two (preferably three) signatories drawn from different officials. Then apply for an M-Pesa paybill linked to that account, so members can pay without sending money to an official’s personal number. Our guide on collecting welfare contributions through M-Pesa explains how to set up account numbers so every payment can be traced.
7. Set up your records from day one
Most welfare disputes are really record-keeping problems: “Have I paid?”, “Is she a registered dependant?”, “Where did the money go?”. Decide now how you will keep:
- A membership register, including each member’s dependants
- A record of every contribution, with receipts
- A record of every benefit paid and who approved it
- Minutes of every meeting
A notebook or spreadsheet works for a handful of members. As the welfare grows, a welfare management system keeps the register, contributions, receipts and approvals in one place that officials and members can check.
8. Hold your first general meeting and keep reporting
Report to members regularly: how much was collected, how much was paid out and what is in the fund. A clear treasurer’s report for the AGM does more for trust than any rule in the constitution.
Quick checklist
- Purpose agreed and written down
- Founding meeting held and minuted
- Constitution adopted
- Officials elected
- Welfare registered
- Bank account with two or more signatories
- Paybill linked to the bank account
- Membership register and dependants recorded
- Contribution and benefit records in place
Put these rules into practice
Jalika keeps your register, contributions, levies and claims in one place, and applies your constitution's rules automatically.