NGO licence cancelled over 'illegal activities'

An organisation involved in conservation of water bodies in Naivasha faces de-registration by the Ministry of Labour for alleged involvement in illegal activities.

Officials of the White Eagle Community Based Organisation have been ordered to immediately return their registration certificate to the Department of Social Services.

This comes barely three weeks after members of the organisation made a flower farm to open a corridor leading to Lake Naivasha. During the three-day violent demonstrations, transport along the Moi South Lake road was paralysed before the farm and a private land owner gave in.

Illegal activities

“It has been established that the group is carrying out illegal activities and therefore its licence has been cancelled,” read the letter signed by Naivasha Sub-county Development officer Lucy Iraki.

Contacted, Lucas Karobia, one of the group's directors, admitted that they had received the letter of de-registration from the sub-county development officer.

He said they would be meeting to forge the way forward, adding that they were still in the dark on the actual cause of the cancellation of the licence.

“The letter gives a blanket condemnation and we are not sure what exactly has constituted to this move, but we shall engage the sub-county development officer for more information,” he said.

“Some of members of these organisation have engaged in illegal fishing activities around the lake and were involved in the violent demonstrations demanding the illegal opening of a corridor,” a government official who sought anonymity said. 

Karobia said 75 per cent of corridors around the lake had been blocked by investors yet there were maps identifying them as access roads.