Leaders of motorcycle taxi (taxi-moto) cooperatives have been given until July to have recovered missing funds within the cooperatives.

The deadline was given on Sunday by Trade and Industry Minister, Vincent Munyeshyaka, during a meeting between various government institutions and members of taxi-moto cooperatives in Kigali.

The meeting was organised to discuss different challenges facing commercial motorcycle operators and find possible solutions.

Mismanagement of funds emerged as a hot topic at the meeting besides other issues like security, hygiene and their contribution to the country’s development among other issues.

"Anyone linked to the mismanagement or embezzling the funds, regardless of the amount, will be held accountable. No one will use the cooperatives’ funds in their own interest and get away scot free; that appetite should end. We want the cooperatives to benefit members not some few individuals,” he said.

Rwanda Cooperatives Agency (RCA) has reported at least 230 leaders to Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) in connection with mismanagement and defrauding motorcyclists’ contributions in their respective cooperatives, worth over Rwf72 million.

Through their federation dubbed Ferwacotamo, taxi-moto operators in the country work in 182 cooperatives boasting of around 25,000 members in the country.

Out of these, 10,000 operate in Kigali.

Prof. Jean-Bosco Harerimana, the Director General of Rwanda Cooperatives Agency (RCA), warned that, in partnership with RIB, those in connection with the missing funds of the cooperatives were given a one month deadline to get the money back.

"We believe that after the recent reforms, all new cooperative leaders will put motorcyclists’ interests first, contrary to the former leaders who were looking for their own interests,” he said.

Gilbert Mugenzi, one of those operating the Taxi-moto businesst in Kigali, said leaders of the cooperatives have made members leading some quitting the business.

"We see other cooperatives generating large incomes while contributing less money than we do. Us who contribute a lot of money, we find ourselves benefiting less or nothing just because of mismanagement or defrauding our funds. But if new leaders continue to work like they currently do, there is hope we can finally benefit from our cooperatives,” he said.

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