Kenyan civil society organizations have called for the implementation of the Public Benefit Organizations Act which is currently awaiting gazettement.
The organizations renewed the demand during a meeting of representatives from various civil society organizations which was held at the Pride Inn Centre in Nairobi on Tuesday 8th May 2024.
“We are considering petitioning the Cabinet Secretary for Interior to implement the act which has been pending since its enactment in 2013,” said Davis Malombe, Executive Director of the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC).
According to Malombe, enactment of the act will enhance representation of civil society organizations in the composition of the Public Organizations Benefit Authority that is set to replace the NGO Council when the act comes into force.
Additionally, the act is expected to enhance partnerships between the government and civil society organizations as well as establishing a renewed legal framework for extension of tax concessions to not-for-profit organizations.
This comes as more than 3,000 delegates from around the world convene for the 69th session of the United Nations Civil Society Conference which concludes today at the United Nations Office in Gigiri, Nairobi.
The conference seeks to amplify the voices of non-state actors in global governance systems amid growing calls for reform of the United Nations, particularly from developing countries such as Kenya.
The conference precedes the Summit of The Future which will take place at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland on 22nd and 23rd September, 2024.
