Username Sacco: Real estate firm launches financial partner for Kenyans after 13-year service
The air in the auditorium buzzed with anticipation. For 13 years, Username Properties had built a formidable reputation, a “tradition of trust,” by making land ownership accessible to thousands of Kenyans.
The company revolutionized the real estate space, but a persistent hurdle remained. On Wednesday, October 15, 2025, after more than a decade of service, the firm was launching its answer: a financial partner designed for the modern Kenyan. The event marked the birth of Username Sacco.
A foundation of trust
Username Sacco Chairman, Reuben Kimani, took the stage, his expression a mixture of pride and profound responsibility.
“As we celebrate the launch today, we recognize the continuation of the Username journey that began 13 years ago,” said Kimani.
Kimani painted a picture of a company born from a desire to solve a real problem. Even with a good job, he recounted, owning property in his late twenties seemed impossible.
“We soon realised that making land affordable is only one part of the journey, because many Kenyans still struggle with financing,” he explained.
This was the genesis of the Sacco. For years, customers had pleaded for a financial solution from the brand they trusted.
“I have always refused because I know the responsibility is big… Until we reached somewhere and we thought, what we have done with Username Properties, we can do it with Username Sacco. Today, we are not just launching a Sacco; we are launching a movement,” he noted.
The chair emphasized that the Sacco was built on the same pillars of integrity and first-class customer service.
A modern Sacco for a new generation
The task of detailing this new movement fell to Username Sacco CEO, Sarah Wahogo. Energetic and clear-spoken, she immediately addressed the perception problem facing most SACCOs.
“The big idea is to build a modern, purpose-driven, progressive, fit-for-the-future financial institution. A lot of our young people have always viewed SACCOs as traditional and boring,” Wahogo declared.
Username Sacco, she explained, was designed to shatter that image. Registration is a minimal KSh 1,000, and the entire process is digitized.
“You do not need to visit the Sacco offices physically to transact,” she said, highlighting the new app, member portal, and USSD service. This is a Sacco for a generation that lives on its smartphones.
But the core innovation lay in its products. Wahogo detailed the flagship “Property Loan,” where a buyer could pay a deposit as low as 5% for a Username property, with the Sacco financing the rest over 36 months.
Then, she addressed the biggest barrier to borrowing for young people.
“Every time we talk about a Sacco, one of the most common questions is about collateral and guarantors. The world is so tough that no one wants to guarantee another person a loan, yet very few people have collaterals. This is always the elephant in the room,” she acknowledged.
Wahogo affirmed that for the Username Sacco Loans, you do not need guarantors. This is the game-changer.
She explained that for the property loans, the asset itself acts as security, eliminating the tedious, expensive, and time-consuming process of charging a title deed.
“The process is extremely expensive because of statutory payments… Again, the process takes more than 90 days. You’re asking me to bring a collateral, but I don’t have land… We are resolving a gap that has been in the market.”
For other loans, members could borrow against their savings or form small, trusted groups to co-guarantee, keeping the responsibility within a close-knit circle and away from the uncomfortable task of begging strangers for signatures.
A movement endorsed
The government’s seal of approval was delivered by Dolphine Aremo, the Nairobi County Director of Cooperatives.
Madam Aremo contextualized the launch within Kenya’s globally recognized cooperative sector.
“In terms of performance, Kenya is number one in Africa in terms of cooperatives. And number seven throughout the world,” Aremo stated, noting that Nairobi alone hosts 47 billionaire SACCOs. “I look forward to welcoming you to the club of billionaires.”
She powerfully connected Username Sacco’s strategy to the evolving needs of the country’s youth. Recalling how last year’s Ushirika Day celebrations were postponed due to Gen Z protests, she noted the lessons learned.
“We need to embrace the Gen Zs into the cooperative movement and to design programs that suit them. Chairman, the Gen Zs do not want to be told that you have to go to the office, apply a loan form, look for a guarantor, wait for how many months to get a loan. These people want loans on arrival,” Aremo said.
Her words served as a powerful endorsement of the Sacco’s digital-first, no-guarantor approach. She also commended the board’s integrity, highlighting their decision to forgo sitting allowances in favour of performance-based honorariums—a rarity that tackles the poor governance plaguing other institutions.
Dagoretti North Cooperative Officer George echoed this support.
“There are very few societies which start the same way that you have done. You are on a good track. It’s not the business of the employer to make you rich. It’s your business. But the employer has provided an opportunity for you to grow financially,” he said.
