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.

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.