State told not to deregister NGOs, gazette Act instead

By Michael Wesonga

Former chairman of the Non-Governmental Organisations Council (NGOC) Ken Wafula has criticised the impending move to deregister over 500 groups.

Mr Wafula has instead urged the Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru to gazette Public Benefits Organisation Act assented to by former President Mwai Kibaki in February last year.

He told The Standard the Act would help streamline the sector as it will call for compulsory and an all-inclusive election of the leadership of the National Federation of Public Benefit Organisations, as the NGOs will now be referred to.

“The Act will pave way for acceptable, all-inclusive, democratic and representative election of the new leadership that will streamline the sector,” he said.

Wafula said the root cause of the problems marring NGOs in the country is the communication disconnect between the NGO Coordination Board and the individual organisations.

Annual returns

He noted that the disconnect has led to lack of capacity building, leading to improper submission of annual returns by the groups.

“NGOs have in the past submitted their returns to a faction of the council instead of the NGOs Coordination Board,” he stated.

Wafula made it apparent that improper submission of the requisite Sh25,000 for four years leads to a Sh100,000 penalty that is too heavy to bear for the NGOs by the time they realise.

His reaction come a day after the board’s Executive Director Hezron McObewa issued a 14-day ultimatum threatening cancellation of certificates of operation issued to NGOs that have flouted governing regulations.

Mr McObewa said 543 NGOs had failed to submit their annual reports contrary to the Coordination Regulations of 1992.

Wafula insisted that many NGOs were ignorant of the standard form at the board that is photocopied and used to submit returns, thus fall prey to a faction of swindling council members.

“The board must devise a new strategy and follow the right channel instead of massive de-registration. The Government is to blame for the confusion because they are opposed to a strong NGO council, and keep on supporting factions to perpetuate confusion,” he added.

He gave an example of several NGOs that were swindled Sh700,000 two years ago and the Government is yet to apprehend the so-called council member, who was facilitating a trip abroad to source for sponsors.

Meanwhile, non-performing International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) have been advised to collaborate with local support groups in undertaking development projects.

Speaking during a consultative meeting in Eldoret, officials drawn from various NGOs in the North Rift blamed a section of INGOs for overstepping their mandate by sourcing for funds from their home countries and failing to channel the same to viable projects in the country.