Chama Constitution Template (Kenya): Sample, Minutes & Record Book
Fill in your chama's rules (members, contributions, fines, merry-go-round, table banking loans, welfare) and get a complete chama constitution that covers all 21 matters the Community Groups Registration Act, 2022 requires, plus the minutes of your founding meeting with the resolution to register and an Excel record book for members, contributions, loans, fines and cash.
Checked 20 Oct 2026 against the sources listed below.
1. Your chama
2. What your chama does
3. Money rules
4. Officials and bank (optional)
Leave blank to fill in by hand after your meeting.
Your chama at a glance
Your chama
- Collected each month
- KES 30,000
- Saved in a year
- KES 360,000
- Merry-go-round
- Each member receives KES 30,000 once every 15 months.
Your constitution: 23 articles
Covers all 21 matters the Community Groups Registration Act, 2022 requires.
- 1.Name
- 2.Purpose
- 3.Address
- 4.Goal
- 5.Objectives
- 6.Values
- 7.Activities
- 8.Membership
- 9.Contributions and fines
- 10.Merry-go-round payouts
- 11.Office bearers
- 12.Term of office
- 13.Finances and banking
- 14.Use of funds
- 15.Assets
- 16.Records
- 17.Meetings
- 18.Elections
- 19.Disputes
- 20.Amendments
- 21.Liability and indemnity
- 22.Dissolution
- 23.Commitment
- ✓ Constitution in Word and PDF, with your rules filled in
- ✓ Founding meeting minutes with the resolution to register
- ✓ Excel record book: members, contributions, loans, fines, cash
A template based on the Act, not legal advice. Read it together as a group before you sign.
The full explanation, with worked examples and what to watch for: How to Register a Chama in Kenya (2026): Requirements, Fees and Steps
About this tool
The preview is free; the full pack unlocks with a small M-Pesa payment, ready to print, sign and take to your Sub-County Social Development Office. Example: 15 members contributing KES 2,000 a month collect KES 30,000 a month and KES 360,000 a year.
What a chama constitution must include
The Second Schedule of the Community Groups Registration Act, 2022 lists 21 matters a community group's constitution must provide for. In plain terms:
| # | Matter | What to write |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Name | The group's registered name |
| 2 | Purpose | Why the group exists |
| 3 | Address | Physical and postal address |
| 4 | Goal | The broad aim |
| 5 | Objectives | How the group will reach its goal |
| 6 | Values | Honesty, transparency, respect… |
| 7 | Activities | Saving, merry-go-round, loans, investment, welfare |
| 8 | Membership | Who can join, joining fee, rights, duties, leaving and removal |
| 9 | Office bearers | Chair, vice-chair, secretary, treasurer: election, roles, removal |
| 10 | Tenure | How long officials serve and re-election |
| 11 | Finances | Contributions, banking, signatories, records, audits, reports |
| 12 | Use of funds | What money may be spent on |
| 13 | Assets | How assets are held and shared, including on dissolution |
| 14 | Records | Members' register, cashbook, minute book, receipts |
| 15 | Meetings | How often, notice, quorum, AGM, minutes |
| 16 | Elections | Who votes, how, supervision, disputes |
| 17 | Disputes | Steps to resolve disagreements |
| 18 | Amendments | Notice and vote needed to change the constitution |
| 19 | Liability and indemnity | Protection for honest officials; liability for misuse |
| 20 | Dissolution | Notice, quorum and sharing assets |
| 21 | Commitment | Members sign the constitution |
The template above covers all 21, and adds articles for your contributions and fines, merry-go-round payouts, table banking loans, investments and welfare when you tick them.
Sample chama constitution clauses
A few examples of how the template words common rules, filled in with your own numbers:
- Contributions: "Each member contributes KES 2,000 every month, paid on or before the first Saturday of every month. A member who pays late is fined KES 100."
- Merry-go-round: "Each month, the contributions collected are paid to one member in turn, so that every member receives once in each cycle. The order of payment is decided by ballot and recorded in the minutes."
- Table banking: "The most a member may borrow is three times their savings. Interest is 1% a month on the reducing balance, and each loan needs two guarantors who are members."
- Banking: "All money is kept in an account in the Chama's name. Every withdrawal needs at least two of the three signatories."
How to write a chama constitution
- Agree the basics first: name, purpose, how much each member contributes and how often, and what the group will do with the money.
- Decide the hard rules before you need them: fines, what happens when a member stops paying after receiving their merry-go-round turn, loan limits and guarantors, and how a member leaves with their savings.
- Cover all 21 matters the Act requires, or the application can be refused.
- Read it together at your founding meeting, change anything that doesn't fit, and have every member sign.
- Record the meeting in minutes, including the resolution to register. You'll submit the minutes with the constitution.
Frequently asked questions
What should be in a chama constitution?
The 21 matters in the Second Schedule of the Community Groups Registration Act, 2022: name, purpose, address, goal, objectives, values, activities, membership, office bearers, tenure, finances, use of funds, assets, records, meetings, elections, disputes, amendments, liability, dissolution and members' commitment. Most chamas also spell out contributions, fines, merry-go-round turns and loan rules.
Do we need a constitution to register a chama?
Yes. Section 10 of the Act requires a constitution with every application. See our guide on how to register a chama in Kenya.
How many members does a chama need?
At least ten adult members to register as a community group, or five for a special interest group.
What records should a chama keep?
A members' register (names, contact addresses, dates of joining and leaving), a contributions register, a loans register if you lend, a fines register, a cashbook with receipts and vouchers, a minute book and annual accounts. The Act requires financial records to be kept for seven years. The Excel record book in the pack has a sheet for each.
Can we change the constitution later?
Yes, by the vote and notice your constitution sets (the template uses a two-thirds vote after fourteen days' notice), and you must send the amended constitution to the Director for Social Development within one month.