Stima SACCO Membership Requirements: How to Join in 2026

Stima SACCO (officially Stima DT Sacco Society Limited) is a deposit-taking SACCO regulated by the Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA), and it was in fact the first deposit-taking SACCO SASRA ever licensed. Membership is open to resident and non-resident Kenyans, and you can join as an individual, jointly with someone else, as part of a group (such as a chama), or as a corporate entity.

To join as an individual, you generally need to fill out a membership application form, attach a copy of your National ID or passport, provide a recent passport photo and a copy of your KRA PIN certificate, pay a Ksh 500 registration fee, and commit to a minimum share capital of Ksh 25,000 plus a minimum monthly savings amount.

The exact minimum monthly savings and a few other details depend on which membership category you fall under, which is explained below. Because SACCO terms can be revised, always confirm current figures with Stima SACCO directly before you commit any money.

Who Can Join Stima SACCO

Stima SACCO’s membership is not restricted to Kenya Power or energy-sector employees, even though the SACCO’s history traces back to serving employees of the former East African Power and Lighting Company when it was founded in 1974. Today, membership is open to the general public, and the SACCO groups individual members into a few categories that determine the paperwork and minimum contributions that apply:

• Imara – for employees who join through check-off (their contributions are deducted directly from payroll by their employer and remitted to the SACCO).
• Meridian – for individual employees who are not on check-off and instead contribute through other channels such as standing orders, mobile money, or direct deposits.
• Business persons – for self-employed individuals and business owners.
• Diaspora – for Kenyans living outside the country who want to save and access services remotely.

Beyond individual membership, Stima SACCO also admits joint members (two individuals opening a shared membership), groups such as chamas and self-help groups with at least four members, and corporate members such as registered companies. This matters because the documents you need depend entirely on which category you’re joining under — a chama and a registered business do not submit the same paperwork.

Documents and Requirements by Membership Category

Individual Membership (Imara, Meridian, or Business Persons)

To register as an individual member, Stima SACCO’s published requirements are:

• A completed individual membership application form
• A copy of your National Identity Card or valid Kenyan passport
• A recent passport-size photograph
• A copy of your KRA PIN certificate

You will also select your category (Imara, Meridian, or Business persons) on the application, since this affects your minimum monthly savings commitment.

Joint Membership

If you want to open a membership jointly with another person, both applicants need to provide:

• A completed joint membership application form
• Copies of National ID cards or valid Kenyan passports for both applicants
• Coloured passport-size photographs for both applicants
• Copies of KRA PIN certificates for both applicants

Group Membership (Chamas and Self-Help Groups)

Groups of at least four members — such as chamas, investment clubs, or self-help groups — can join under the group category. The requirements are:

• A completed corporate/group membership application form
• A photocopy of the group’s registration certificate
• Minutes of the group’s meeting resolving to join Stima SACCO
• A copy of the group’s constitution
• Copies of National IDs, KRA PINs, and photographs of the group’s authorized signatories
• A list of all group members

Corporate Membership

Registered companies and other corporate entities joining Stima SACCO need to provide:

• A completed corporate membership application form
• The directors’ resolution authorizing the company to open an account with the SACCO
• A copy of the certificate of incorporation
• ID or passport copies and photographs of the authorized signatories
• The memorandum and articles of association
• A photocopy of the corporate KRA PIN certificate

Read also: Stima SACCO Dividend Rate: 2026 Payout, How It’s Calculated and How to Get Yours

Registration Fees, Share Capital and Minimum Savings

Based on Stima SACCO’s published membership table, the following amounts apply to the main individual and diaspora categories:

Category	Registration fee	Minimum share capital	Minimum monthly savings
Imara (check-off employees)	Ksh 500	Ksh 25,000	Ksh 1,000
Meridian (individual employees)	Ksh 500	Ksh 25,000	Ksh 1,000
Business persons	Ksh 500	Ksh 25,000	Ksh 500
Diaspora	Ksh 500	Ksh 25,000	Ksh 1,000

These figures were current on Stima SACCO’s official website as of August 2026. Group and corporate membership carry their own fee structures that are not published in the same table on the SACCO’s site, so if you’re joining as a chama or a company, ask your Stima SACCO branch or relationship officer to confirm the exact registration fee, share capital, and monthly contribution that will apply to your group before you submit your documents.

It’s worth understanding what these three amounts actually mean, because they are not the same thing:

• Registration fee (Ksh 500): a one-off, non-refundable administrative charge for processing your application. It does not count toward your savings or your ownership stake.
• Share capital (Ksh 25,000 minimum): this is money that buys you ownership in the SACCO as a shareholder, not just a customer. Share capital is generally the least liquid of the three amounts — SACCOs typically restrict how and when you can withdraw share capital, since it forms part of the SACCO’s core capital base. Confirm with Stima SACCO whether the Ksh 25,000 must be paid in full at registration or can be built up over time, since SACCOs sometimes allow phased payment of share capital.
• Minimum monthly savings (Ksh 500–1,000 depending on category): this goes toward your Alpha Deposit account, which Stima SACCO describes as a non-withdrawable savings account that also functions as a “multiplier” account — meaning your accumulated balance in this account is one of the factors used to determine how much you can borrow.

How Membership Registration Works

When your Stima SACCO membership registration is approved, three accounts are opened for you automatically:

1. Prime Account – your everyday transactional or current account, used for deposits, withdrawals, and day-to-day transactions.
2. Alpha Deposit Account – a non-withdrawable savings account that also serves as your loan “multiplier” account, meaning your savings balance here is used when Stima SACCO calculates how much you may qualify to borrow.
3. Share Capital Account – holds your ownership shares in the SACCO.

Stima SACCO advertises that you can start the process by dialling *489# on your phone or by completing the application form on its official website, after which a representative follows up with you. Whichever channel you use, be ready to upload or physically submit the documents listed above for your category, since incomplete applications will not be processed.

What Happens After You Register

Becoming a member gives you access to Stima SACCO’s savings products, FOSA (Front Office Service Activity) banking services, mobile and internet banking, and its loan products — but membership alone does not make you instantly eligible for every service. Two things are worth knowing:

• Loan eligibility takes time. According to Stima SACCO, you generally need to have been an active member for at least three months (individuals) or six months (corporate members) before you can apply for a loan, in addition to meeting the specific requirements of whichever loan product you want.
• You earn dividends and interest rebates, not fixed returns. As a shareholder, you become eligible to earn annual dividends on your share capital and interest rebates on your deposits, in line with what the SACCO’s annual general meeting declares each year based on its financial performance. These are not guaranteed or fixed percentages — the rate is declared annually and can vary from year to year, so do not treat any dividend figure you see quoted elsewhere as a promise of future returns.

Common Mistakes Applicants Make

• Submitting an incomplete KRA PIN or ID document. A blurred photocopy or a name that doesn’t exactly match across your ID and KRA PIN certificate is one of the most common causes of processing delays.
• Assuming group and corporate fees are the same as individual fees. They are not published in the same table, so groups and companies should confirm their specific costs before assuming the Ksh 500 / Ksh 25,000 figures apply to them.
• Confusing share capital with savings. Some new members expect to withdraw their Ksh 25,000 share capital like a normal deposit; in most deposit-taking SACCOs, including Stima, share capital is treated differently from withdrawable savings and typically cannot be withdrawn on demand while you remain a member.
• Not budgeting for the ongoing monthly savings commitment. The minimum monthly savings (Ksh 500 or Ksh 1,000 depending on your category) is a recurring obligation, not a one-time payment — missing it consistently can affect your standing and your future loan eligibility.
• Forgetting to check the current paybill and account details before depositing. Stima SACCO’s deposit channels (paybill number and account formats for shares, monthly deposits, and the Prime account) are specific and have been updated over time, so confirm the current details on the official Stima SACCO website or with customer care rather than relying on an old screenshot or an outdated blog post.

Things to Confirm Directly With Stima SACCO

Before you apply, it’s worth calling Stima SACCO’s customer care line or visiting a branch to confirm:

• The exact registration fee, share capital, and minimum monthly savings for your specific membership category, especially if you’re joining as a group or corporate
• Whether share capital can be paid in instalments or must be paid in full at registration
• The current paybill number and account formats for deposits
• Processing time for your membership application to be approved
• Any promotional waivers on registration fees, since SACCOs occasionally run membership drives with reduced or waived fees for a limited period

Frequently Asked Questions

Can non-Kenyans or non-resident Kenyans join Stima SACCO? Yes. Stima SACCO states that membership is open to both resident and non-resident Kenyans, and it has a dedicated Diaspora membership category with its own registration process for Kenyans living abroad.

Do I have to work for Kenya Power to join Stima SACCO? No. While Stima SACCO’s roots are in the energy sector, its membership is open to the general public, including business persons and individual employees from any sector, under categories such as Meridian and Business persons.

How much money do I need to join Stima SACCO? For most individual and diaspora categories, expect a Ksh 500 registration fee, a minimum share capital of Ksh 25,000, and a minimum monthly savings commitment of either Ksh 500 or Ksh 1,000 depending on your category, based on Stima SACCO’s published table as of August 2026. Confirm current figures with the SACCO, since fees and minimums can be revised.

Can I withdraw my share capital if I leave Stima SACCO? Share capital is generally treated differently from ordinary savings and is not freely withdrawable while you remain a member. If you resign your membership, ask Stima SACCO directly about its specific exit and refund process, since cooperative societies typically have defined procedures and timelines for returning a departing member’s share capital.

How soon can I apply for a loan after joining? Stima SACCO indicates that individual members generally need at least three months of active membership (six months for corporate members) before becoming eligible to apply for a loan, in addition to meeting the requirements of the specific loan product.

What if I was previously a member and want to rejoin? According to Stima SACCO, rejoining does not attract a fresh registration fee, but returning members are required to redeposit Ksh 1,000 to their share capital account. Confirm whether any other conditions apply to your specific case, since gaps in membership can sometimes affect share capital balances.

Conclusion

Joining Stima SACCO is a fairly straightforward process on paper — pick your membership category, gather the right documents, pay the registration fee, and commit to the minimum share capital and monthly savings that apply to you.

The details that trip people up are usually not the big headline numbers but the specifics: which category you actually fall under, whether your group or corporate fees differ from the individual table, and how share capital is treated compared to ordinary savings.

Because SACCO membership terms, fees, and contact channels can change, treat this article as a starting point and confirm the exact current requirements with Stima SACCO before you submit your application or send any money.

Read also:

• Stima SACCO Dividend Rate: 2026 Payout, How It’s Calculated and How to Get Yours
• Stima SACCO Loan Requirements: Eligibility, Documents and How to Apply (2026)
• Stima SACCO Loan Interest Rate: Current Rates, Charges and How They’re Calculated
• SASRA Licensed SACCOs in Kenya 2026: Full List of Deposit-Taking and BOSA SACCOs