The Ministry of Interior on Saturday, September 9 announced plans to start monitoring operations of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Public Benefits Organizations (PBOS) registered in Kenya.
In a notice, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omondi noted the prevailing misalignment of international donor aid management systems prompted the decision.
According to the Interior PS, the existing model not only put at risk donor funds but was also is a matter of national security.
“This model, sadly, leans more towards meeting the interests of donor countries than supporting Kenya’s national development agenda and priority needs.
This is not only ineffective but also impairs the ownership of development plans for Kenya, as the host country. Further, it has the potential of weakening our capacity to accurately monitor and manage donor aid management in the best interest of our national security,” Omondi stated.
To ensure all NGOs align with globally best-recognised practices of operations and promote the country’s development, the government directed them to align with guidelines set in President William Ruto’s economic model.
“The Government recognizes the critical role donor aid plays in our socioeconomic development, but, for purposes of mutual accountability between the host country and its development partners, the aid architecture must comply with the global best practices and the established regulatory frameworks.
In light of the above, the Government has formally written a notice to all NGOs and PBOS in the country to comply with this requirement and align their operations with Kenya’s development priorities as captured in the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA),” the notice read in part.
According to the Ministry of Interior, Kenya’s focus is on optimizing the value of all projects and programmes funded through international aid to ensure they complement our developmental plan outlined in BETA.
The new system will also address the issue of money laundering linked to some nonprofit organizations in the country.
On September 1, President Ruto signed the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating of Terrorism Financing Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023 into law.
The new law will help address deficiencies limiting the fight against money laundering and terrorism in the country. It allows for the surrendering of a fugitive criminal who consents to be extradited to a requesting State.
It also grants the Financial Reporting Centre operational independence by excluding it from the definition of a State Corporation.
