The Ministry of Interior has asked all non-governmental organisations operating in the country to transition to the new public benefit organisations (PBO) regulatory framework.
In a notice on Monday, May 4, the ministry stated that NGOs that have not yet complied risk deregistration and will not be recognised in the country.
According to the ministry, NGOs must review the prescribed requirements, submit the necessary documentation, and complete re-registration before obtaining the appropriate certification.
The Ministry further stated that the transition period is currently ongoing but will lapse on May 13, after which all organisations are expected to have fully complied with the new legal framework.
“All NGOs that have not yet transitioned to the new Public Benefit Organisations (PBO) Regulations framework are required to review the prescribed requirements and to submit the prescribed information and supporting documentation to facilitate re-registration and the issuance of the appropriate certificate,” the ministry stated.
“Kindly note that the transition period lapses on May 13 2026, and all compliance requirements must be fulfilled within this timeframe with failure affecting the organisation’s legal status in the country,” it added.
Established by the PBO Act 2013, the PBO framework is part of broader regulatory reforms aimed at streamlining the governance and oversight of the organisations in the country.
Under the new regulations, organisations directly implementing activities in the country must register, while those operating indirectly, such as those funding others, must obtain a permit to do so.
Also, NGOs are required to submit an annual report and audited accounts, and must pass a public benefit test to demonstrate they are operating in the public good and for the public benefit, among other requirements.
Despite the directive, some NGOs have faulted the Ministry’s ultimatum, arguing that the re-registration ministry’s requirement was declared unconstitutional and that all NGOs are therefore expected to automatically transit without re-registering.
The organisation also argues that the eCitizen platform, where they are supposed to register, is unlawful and is currently being reconfigured.
“Re-registration requirement was declared unconstitutional, and all NGOs are expected to transit automatically. Also, the e-citizen platform for PBORA is illegal as currently formatted. Applicants can not use forms and fees under the defunct NGOs Coordination Act,” stated one of the NGOs.
The government has urged affected organisations to access the required guidelines and submit their documentation within the transition period to avoid disruption of operations once the timeline takes effect-Kenyans.co.ke.
