MATIANG’I HALTS DE-REGISTRATION OF TWO LOCAL NGOS

Acting Interior Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Fred Matiang’i, has put on hold the de-registration of the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and the Africa Center for Open Governance (AfriCOG), directing for further investigations into the matter.

Through a letter to the NGO’s Co-ordination Board CEO, Fazul Mahamed, the CS has now ordered his Permanent Secretary, Karanja Kibicho, to form a special committee to work with the specific KHRC and AfriCOG boards, in a bid to critically review the compliance and the borne of contentions with the two organizations.

“While the matter contains weighty and regulatory issues on the said organizations, my view is that before conclusive action such as de-registration, comprehensive and exhaustive engagement need to happen. This would include an opportunity for the two organizations and any stakeholders concerned to engage the NGO Board and address the issues,” read the letter.

On Monday, August 14, the NGO Co-ordination Board deregistered the KHRC for allegedly operating illegal bank accounts, failure to account for donor funds and illegal employment of expatriates.

On the same breath, the NGO’s watchdog on Tuesday, August 15 sought to de-list AfriCOG on accounts that the organization is not registered and therefore operates illegally contrary to Section 22(1) of the NGOs Co-ordination Act 1990.

On Monday, August 16 the Kenya Police together with Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officers had raided AfriCOG offices in Lavington, Nairobi, but later aborted the mission to seek clarification with regards to the order papers’ authenticity.