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The Public Benefits Regulatory Authority (PBRA) has launched investigations into the conduct of certain Public Benefit Organizations (PBOs) operating in Kenya.

The probe follows government claims that some of the organisations had breached the PBO Act of 2013 by financing the anti-government protests.

In a statement, PBRA emphasized that out of the sixteen organizations listed by Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing’oei as having received funding from the Ford Foundation to facilitate the deadly wave of protests by the Gen Zs, only three are registered under the PBO Act.

The remaining organizations are registered with the Registrar of Societies and Companies.

The Authority said it had forwarded details to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for further investigations into the organizations currently operating without the necessary registrations, receiving unaccounted-for funds, and implementing unverified projects.

“We have done the necessary due diligence and forwarded our findings to the DCI as required and requested,” said PBRA Chairperson Mwambu Mabonga.

Public benefit status

Moving forward, all organizations engaging in public benefit activities in Kenya will be required to obtain public benefit status as provided under Section 7 of the PBO Act 2013 or be registered with the authorities under Sections 10 and 11 of the Act, Mabonga stated.

 “With the new act operationalized, all organizations engaging in public benefit activities are under our jurisdiction. This enables us to monitor and regulate effectively,” he added.

“Some organizations register as briefcase entities, collect funds for registration, promise projects that never materialize, and disappear. This is the work of the board; without proper registration, we have no mandate,” he revealed.

He at the same time clarified that Ford Foundation, which is on the spot over the alleged funding of the protests, was not registered under the PBO Act.

  “Ford Foundation is not registered under us; it operates under an international duty treaty with the host countries. That is why the Principal Secretary of Foreign Affairs could write to them and highlight suspicious transactions. We have no authority over the Ford Foundation because it is not registered with us,” he explained.

Mabonga maintained that the Authority remains committed to ensuring transparency and accountability among PBOs operating in Kenya and will continue to collaborate with relevant bodies to uphold the integrity of public benefit activities in the country.