KBC Channel 1

Tag: NGOs in Kenya

  • Turkana to support enforcement of PBO regulations

    Turkana to support enforcement of PBO regulations

    Turkana County government has pledged to support the enforcement of compliance to the Public Benefit Organizations (PBOs) Act that come to force in May 2024.

    Deputy Governor Dr John Erus made the commitment during a meeting with officials of the Public Benefit Organizations Regulation Authority (PBORA), on a courtesy visit to his office.

    The team is currently in Turkana for a public participation exercise on regulations proposed by the PBORA to streamline implementation of the Act.

    “For a county like Turkana where NGOs have been running operations on nearly all sector, regulations will promote accountability, reduce duplication of efforts and create room for more structured partnership,” said Erus.

    Adding that the county had passed a resolution requiring all PBOs working with the County Government to sign formal MoUs. Erus emphasised that the move was part of enforcing compliance to the existing legal frameworks including the ones provided for by the PBO Act of 2024.

    According to the Act and the proposed regulations, PBOs are expected to register and, submit regular reports to the authority.

    Head of the PBORA team Nzioka Ndeti, who also serves as a director and Board member, said that Turkana was the seventh county the organization had visited for the public participation exercise.

    “After Turkana, we are scheduled to visit more counties and end with Nairobi. To us, Turkana is an important stop due to the high concentration of PBOs involved in development and humanitarian works, Ndeti explained.

    In Turkana, a recent survey conducted by the Directorate of Partnerships and Donor Coordination housed in the office of the Deputy Governor, revealed that more than 100 PBOs were operating in Turkana.

  • Gov’t to crackdown on fraudulent NGOs

    Gov’t to crackdown on fraudulent NGOs

    The government is set to crack down on fraudulent Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) through the proposed Public Benefit Organisations (PBO) Act, 2025, which seeks to streamline operations and enhance accountability in the sector.

    According to Dr. Laxmana Kiptoo, CEO and Director General of the Public Benefit Organisations Regulatory Authority (PBORA), the new law will help weed out organisations that exist only on paper but continue to siphon donor funds without delivering any meaningful impact.

    Speaking in Garissa during a public participation forum on the draft law, Dr. Kiptoo noted that the legislation will require all Public Benefit Organisations operating in Kenya to undergo strict registration, compliance checks, and operational transparency.

    “The Act comes with several good things. More so the Kenyan government through the Authority would want to ascertain and to know all the NGOs which are now referred to as Public Benefit Organisations operating across the country,” he said.

    Civil society actors in Garissa have welcomed the proposed reforms, terming them timely and necessary.

    The Chairman of Garissa CSOs Network presenting submissions on behalf of stakeholders in Wajir and Mandera

    Khalif Nunde, chairperson of the Garissa Civil Society Network, said the new law will bring sanity to the sector by ensuring transparency and accountability.

    “Regrettably we have briefcase NGOs that only siphoning donor funds and fail to deliver on their mission. Going forward we need strict regulations to address these concerns,” he said.

    He said NGOs serving communities must be held accountable with mandatory reporting requirements, audits and allowing members of the public to access information on their activities.

    He also supported the PBO Act’s provision for potential government funding, preferential treatment in procurement, and access to public information and training programs for registered PBOs.

    “Majority of the communities in this region rely on the NGOs on various livelihood support projects and other sectors, this NGOs sometimes face donor funding crisis. This time when their is middle East crisis many organisations will experience financial crisis that affects ongoing project and will in turn have repercussion on the local communities,” he stated.

    Adan Bille, Chairperson of the Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) group in Garissa, urged the government to waive registration fees for PWD-led organisations, saying the current requirement to pay Ksh 5,000 is prohibitive.

    “PWDs are spread across the country, and many of us would like to start organisations to support our communities. But the registration cost discourages us. It’s unfair and should be removed to allow more inclusion.”

    PBORA, formerly known as the NGO Coordination Board, is a state corporation established under Section 34 of the Public Benefit Organizations Act, 2013.

    It is tasked with registering, regulating, and promoting accountability among PBOs in Kenya.

    Read related: As of May 16, 2025, only 4,000 out of 14,000 registered NGOs were compliant.