Duties of Chama Officials: Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and Auditor

Every chama runs on three or four volunteers: the chairperson, the secretary, the treasurer and, in well-run groups, an auditor or internal audit committee. When their duties are clear, meetings are short and money is safe. When they are vague, one official ends up doing everything, and that is how money goes missing.

This guide sets out the roles and duties of chama officials, with the safeguards that protect both officials and members.

Chairperson

The chairperson leads the group and makes sure the constitution is followed.

• Calls and chairs meetings, and keeps them to the agenda and time.
• Makes sure decisions are made by the members, by vote where needed, and recorded.
• Represents the group with banks, government offices and partners.
• Is usually a bank signatory, alongside the treasurer.
• Handles disputes fairly, and enforces rules and fines on everyone, including other officials.

The vice-chairperson stands in when the chairperson is absent.

Secretary

The secretary is the group's record of decisions and members.

• Keeps the member register, with phone numbers, ID numbers and next of kin.
• Sends meeting notices and agendas.
• Records attendance and minutes at every meeting, and reads them for confirmation at the next. See our chama minutes template.
• Keeps the constitution, minutes and correspondence safe and available to members.
• Handles registration renewals and paperwork. See how to register a chama.

Treasurer

The treasurer looks after the group's money and money records. It is the most demanding role, and the one that needs the most safeguards.

• Receives contributions, loan repayments, fines and welfare payments, and records each one against the right member.
• Banks money promptly and never mixes group money with their own.
• Keeps records of every member's savings, shares, loans and fines. See how to track chama contributions.
• Disburses approved loans and welfare benefits, and tracks repayments.
• Presents a financial report at every meeting: money in, money out, bank balance, arrears.
• Prepares the year-end accounts and dividend figures. See how to calculate chama dividends.

Auditor or audit committee

Many groups skip this role, and many of them regret it. An auditor, or two members who are not officials, checks the treasurer's records.

• Compares the records with bank statements and M-Pesa statements regularly, at least before every AGM.
• Checks that every loan and welfare payment was approved according to the rules.
• Reports findings directly to members.

Organising secretary and committee members

Larger groups often add an organising secretary to arrange venues, events and project activities, plus one or two committee members who help officials and handle specific projects.

Safeguards every chama should have

1. Separate duties. The person who records money should not be the only one who can withdraw it.
2. Two signatories for every withdrawal, one of whom is the treasurer.
3. No group money on personal lines. Contributions go to the group paybill or bank account only.
4. Members can see their own records without having to ask the treasurer.
5. Regular checks of the records against the bank by someone other than the treasurer.
6. Term limits. Elect officials for a fixed term, often two years, with a limit on consecutive terms.
7. A proper handover of records, documents and passwords when officials change, recorded in the minutes.

Write these into your constitution. Our constitution template includes sample clauses on officials and their duties, and our sample rules cover money handling.

How to elect chama officials

• Hold elections at the AGM, with notice given in advance.
• Allow nominations from any member in good standing.
• Vote by secret ballot where possible.
• Record the results in the minutes. The bank will need these minutes to change signatories.

Frequently asked questions

Can one person be both secretary and treasurer?

It is possible in a very small group, but it is not advisable. Splitting record-keeping and money-handling is one of the simplest protections a chama has.

Should chama officials be paid?

Most chamas do not pay officials. Some give a small allowance for transport or airtime. Whatever you decide, write it into your rules.

How do you remove a chama official?

Follow your constitution, which should allow removal by a vote, often two-thirds, at a general meeting after the official has had a chance to respond.

Make every official's job easier

In ChamaPoint, our chama management software, you add your officials with their own roles: Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and Auditor, and you choose which parts of the system each official can use. M-Pesa contributions post to members automatically, the treasurer's reports come straight from the records, the secretary schedules meetings and uploads minutes, and the auditor can be given access to review the records. Members see their own records on the Android app, on the web or by USSD. Start a 7-day free trial. No card is required.