Cak Chairman Mr. Malonza Elected Ica Vice President For 2026 To 2030
By Admin Thursday, 17th September 2026
Photo courtesy: ICA. Mr. Malonza is third from right, standing in the front row.
Co-operative Alliance of Kenya (CAK) Chairman Macloud Malonza has been elected Vice President of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) for Africa for the 2026–2030 term, placing Kenya and the African cooperative movement in a key position within the global cooperative leadership.
Malonza was elected during the ICA General Assembly held at the Panama Convention Centre on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, where cooperative leaders and representatives from around the world gathered to elect the organisation's leadership for the next four years.
His election makes him one of four regional Vice Presidents serving on the ICA Global Board. The other regional Vice Presidents are Dr José Alves de Souza Neto of Cooperativas de las Américas, Dr Chandrapal Singh Yadav of ICA Asia-Pacific, and Giuseppe Guerini of Cooperatives Europe.
The appointment comes at an important time for the global cooperative movement, as cooperatives continue to play a significant role in promoting inclusive economic development, strengthening communities and creating opportunities for millions of people around the world.
Kenya takes a seat at the global cooperative leadership table
Malonza's election to the ICA leadership is a significant development for Kenya's cooperative movement and provides the country with an opportunity to contribute directly to global conversations on the future of cooperatives.
The ICA brings together cooperative movements from countries across the world and provides a platform through which cooperative organisations can share experiences, develop common positions and advocate for policies that support the growth and sustainability of cooperatives.
As Vice President representing Africa, Malonza will serve on the 30-member ICA Global Board, working alongside the President, regional representatives, sectoral organisation representatives and leaders of the ICA's Youth and Gender Equality structures.
The position will place him at the centre of discussions on issues affecting cooperatives globally, while also providing an avenue for African cooperative priorities and experiences to be reflected in the international cooperative agenda.
For Kenya, where cooperatives have a long-standing role in economic and social development, the election represents an opportunity to strengthen the country's engagement with the wider international cooperative movement.
Dr Ariel Guarco re-elected ICA President
The Panama General Assembly also saw Dr Ariel Guarco re-elected unopposed as President of the International Cooperative Alliance for the 2026–2030 period.
In addition to the President and the four regional Vice Presidents, ICA members elected 15 At-large Directors from a field of 24 candidates. Seven of the elected directors are returning members of the Board, while eight are new directors.
The General Assembly brought together 116 voters representing 193 ICA members from 66 countries, making it a significant gathering of the international cooperative movement.
The election was held during the ICA Global Conference week in Panama, which was convened under the theme “Building Bridges: Cooperative Contributions to a Peaceful World.”
The theme continues an emphasis on peace and cooperation that has featured prominently during Dr Guarco's presidency since his first election at the ICA General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2017.
Following his re-election, Dr Guarco thanked Board members who had chosen not to seek another term and welcomed the incoming directors.
He underlined the importance of democratic participation within the cooperative movement, saying:
“Democracy is not just an election mechanism; it's a way to relate to one another … in a cooperative, everyone counts and we must be participatory, democratic and inclusive.”
A diverse global Board
The new ICA Board brings together cooperative leaders from different regions and sectors, reflecting the broad nature of the international cooperative movement.
Returning to the Board are Márcio Lopes de Freitas of Brazil, President of OCB; Attilio Dadda of Italy, President of Legacoop Lombardia and Vice President of Legacoop Nazionale; Douglas O'Brien of the United States, President and CEO of NCBA CLUSA; Simona Cavazzutti of Paraguay, President of CONCOPAR and REDACOOP; Rose Marley of the United Kingdom, Chief Executive of Co-operatives UK; Íñigo Albizuri Landazabal of Spain, Head of Global Public Affairs at MONDRAGON Corporation and President of MUNDUKIDE; and Maria Eugenia Pérez Zea of Colombia, Executive President of ASCOOP.
The new directors elected to the Board are Marie-Josée Paquette of Canada, Dileep Sanghani of India, Yuyan Wang of China, Yoshito Shinno of Japan, Ünal Örnek of Türkiye, Ryszard Jaśkowski of Poland, Abdul Fattah Abdullah of Malaysia, and Bastien Sibille of France.
The Board's composition also includes one representative appointed by each of the ICA's eight Sectoral Organisations, together with the President of the Youth Committee and the President of the Gender Equality Committee.
Building on the International Year of Cooperatives
The leadership elections came after a year of significant global attention on the cooperative movement.
During the General Assembly, Dr Guarco presented an overview of activities undertaken during 2025, the International Year of Cooperatives.
The International Year provided an opportunity for cooperative organisations around the world to highlight the contribution of cooperatives to economic and social development. The ICA participated in regional events and international engagements, including the second World Social Summit.
During the summit, an announcement was made that an International Year of Cooperatives would be held every decade, providing further opportunities for the cooperative movement to raise awareness of the cooperative model and its contribution to communities and economies.
The experience of the 2025 International Year also provided a platform for cooperatives to demonstrate their role in addressing economic, social and community challenges through member-owned and democratically controlled enterprises.
ICA's strategy for 2026–2030
The incoming Board will also oversee the implementation of the ICA's strategy for the 2026–2030 period, titled “Practice, Promote, Protect.”
Presenting the ICA's 2025 Annual Report during the General Assembly, ICA Director General Jeroen Douglas outlined how the strategy has translated into five major pathways of activity: People, Data, Advocacy, Finance and Future.
The strategy is intended to guide the ICA's work during the new four-year leadership period and strengthen its support for cooperative organisations around the world.
For African cooperatives, participation in these global strategic discussions will provide an avenue to share regional experiences and perspectives, while also strengthening links between African cooperative organisations and their counterparts in other parts of the world.
Malonza's role as the ICA Vice President for Africa places him within this global leadership structure as the new strategy is implemented.
Membership and voting rights also discussed
Beyond the elections, delegates at the Panama General Assembly considered proposals relating to the future of ICA membership.
Members were consulted on a proposed overhaul of the ICA's membership offer, including the way membership fees and voting rights are calculated.
The incoming Board was tasked with continuing to develop a new formula for calculating membership fees and voting rights.
The discussions form part of the ICA's broader efforts to strengthen its membership framework and ensure that the organisation continues to serve the interests of its diverse global membership.
Strengthening Africa's cooperative voice
Malonza's election comes as cooperative movements across Africa continue to seek greater visibility and stronger representation in global forums.
Africa has a large and diverse cooperative movement operating across sectors including agriculture, savings and credit, housing, consumer services, transport, insurance and other areas of economic activity.
Through his position on the ICA Global Board, Malonza will participate in the international governance of the ICA while representing the interests of the African cooperative region.
His election also strengthens the connection between Kenya's cooperative movement and the wider international cooperative community.
The four-year term will run from 2026 to 2030, providing an extended period for engagement, collaboration and participation in the development of the global cooperative agenda.
Looking ahead
The Panama General Assembly marks the beginning of a new four-year chapter for the International Cooperative Alliance under the leadership of Dr Ariel Guarco and its newly elected Board.
For Kenya, the election of Macloud Malonza as ICA Vice President for Africa provides a platform for continued participation in the governance of the global cooperative movement.
The General Assembly concluded with Dr Guarco confirming that the next ICA General Assembly will take place before 1 July 2027.
The Panama gathering therefore not only renewed the leadership of the world's cooperative movement but also set the direction for the next phase of international cooperative engagement.
For the Co-operative Alliance of Kenya, Malonza's election represents an important moment in Kenya's continued engagement with the global cooperative movement and provides an opportunity to strengthen collaboration between Kenya, Africa and cooperative organisations around the world.
As the ICA begins implementing its 2026–2030 strategy, the participation of African cooperative leaders in its global leadership will remain an important part of shaping conversations on the future of cooperatives, their contribution to sustainable development and their role in building stronger and more inclusive communities.