Chama Contribution Calculator: Merry-Go-Round Payouts, Dates and Savings

How it's worked out

In a merry-go-round, every member pays the same amount at each meeting and one member takes the collection home. After as many meetings as there are members, everyone has had one turn. The calculator shows:

• Each member's payout: members × contribution, minus any share the group keeps back for savings.
• The savings pot: if the group keeps back a share at each meeting, the calculator adds it up over the round and grows it at the interest rate you enter, for example in a money market fund.
• Payout dates: one turn per meeting, starting from the date of your first meeting.

Over a full round, every member pays in and gets back the same amount, plus an equal share of whatever the pot earned. The first member to collect gets an interest-free advance from the group, and the last one has effectively saved with the group. That's why the order matters: agree it, write it down and have every member sign before the first meeting.

Register and protect the group. Groups with a constitution and a bank account are easier to run and harder to cheat. Community groups register with their county under the Community Groups Registration Act, 2022. See how to register a chama in Kenya for the steps. If you want a ready-made constitution, minutes and contribution ledger, our chama constitution pack has them.

Where to keep the pot. A group money market fund account pays far more than a current account. Returns follow Treasury bill rates, and the Capital Markets Authority publishes the industry figures each quarter (CMA, Q2 2026). Compare funds in the money market fund calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How does a chama merry-go-round work?

Every member contributes the same amount at each meeting, and one member collects the whole amount. The turns rotate until everyone has collected once, and then a new round can begin.

How much will I get from my chama?

Members × contribution, minus anything the group keeps for savings. With 10 members paying KSh 2,000 each and 20% kept back, each payout is KSh 16,000, and KSh 4,000 goes into the group pot at every meeting.

Who should collect first in a merry-go-round?

Agree the order before the first meeting, by ballot or by need. Write it in your minutes and have every member sign, so nobody can change it later.

What happens if a member doesn't pay?

The payout for that meeting is short. Most groups set a fine for late payment in their constitution and agree what happens if someone collects and then stops paying. Put these rules in writing.

Should our chama save part of the contributions?

Many groups keep back 10% to 30% for savings, loans to members or a joint investment. It builds a pot that earns interest and gives the group something to show at the end of the round.