NGOs urged to file returns or face deregistration

NGOs Co-ordination Board Executive Director Mutuma Nkanata. [David Gichuru,Standard]

Registered Non-Governmental organizations (NGOs) have until January 8 to file their annual returns or risk losing their registration status, the NGOs Co-ordination Board has warned.

The board's executive director, Mutuma Nkanata, said the deadline was part of a 21-day notice issued on December 14 to ensure compliance with the law.

"We appreciate the work NGOs have been doing to help the government meet the needs of Kenyans, but we also urge those that have not complied by submitting returns to do so. We hope all of them will have complied by the time the notice expires," Nkanata said.

He was speaking yesterday during the NGOs Council End Year Meeting and Awards Ceremony, where several NGOs were recognised for their outstanding performance.

Nkanata said out of the over 8,000 registered NGOs, only about 3,000 had filed their returns as required by the law.

The Non-Governmental Organisations Coordination Act mandates every registered NGO to submit an annual return within three months after the end of its financial year.

Nkanata said filing returns was not only a legal obligation but also a way of preventing illegal activities such as terrorism financing and money laundering among some NGOs.

He, however, expressed satisfaction with the good work the majority of the NGOs were doing, noting that they had contributed significantly to Kenya's economy and social development.

"According to our NGO sector report, NGOs contributed Sh175.9 billion to Kenya's economy and employed 71,096 people in the financial year 2021-2022. This was a 27 per cent increase in financial receipts, from Sh13.6 billion in the previous financial year," he said.

The National Council of NGOs is the umbrella organisation that brings together international, regional, and national NGOs or civil society organizations registered and operating in the country.

The council's chairman, Stephen Cheboi, echoed Nkanata's call for compliance, saying failure to register could facilitate illegal activities.

"I want to thank the government for supporting our NGOs, and we really appreciate what the board has been able to do in regulating the sector. We also appreciate the NGOs for what they are doing. We join the board to ask NGOs to comply," he said.

Cheboi also cautioned NGO bosses against misusing donor funds through property purchases.

Standard Group PLC was among the mainstream media houses that received awards for supporting the work of NGOs.