By ISAAC MESO
Civil Society groups have formally lodged a petition with President Uhuru Kenyatta over the Public Benefit Organisations (PBO) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2013, and the Kenya Information Communications (Amendment) Bill, 2013.
The group led by Fredrick Awuor, a civil rights activist, said if passed, the Miscellaneous Bill will have serious ramifications on Kenya’s social and economic development.
“The Bill, if passed will not only constrain the civil society’s contribution to national development, but also make the attainment of socio-economic rights more difficult,” he said.
The activists were speaking during a meeting on Tom Mboya Street in Nairobi yesterday, when they sought signatures from members of the public to complement the petition. Awuor said implementation of the Bill would violate civil society organisations’ freedom of association.
Contentious issues
The activists said the Bill, which plans to limit NGOs from receiving more than 15 per cent of their total funding from donors among other things, was in bad taste and should not become law.
He said they would also present the petition to Attorney General Githu Muigai and Cabinet Secretary for Devolution Anne Waiguru.
The activists’ move comes just a day after State House Spokesman Manoah Esipisu said although the President had received the Bill, he would return it to Parliament to iron out some of the contentious issues.
The Bill also proposes formation of a federation chaired by the Government to receive and distribute funds on behalf of the civil society organisations.