A Non-Profit Organization (NGO) is an entity that is
independent of government influence and is typically on a mission to address a
social or political issue. In Kenya, NGOs are regulated and enabled by the
NGO’s Coordination Board which is a state corporation. It derives its mandate
from the Non-Governmental Organizations Coordination Act (Cap 19) of 1990.
Apart from the board’s mandate of facilitating and coordinating the
International and National NGOs operating in Kenya, its other core mandate is
the registration of all NGOs in Kenya.
The first process in the registration of an NGO is
conducting a name search. This is done by filling out a reservation form, proposing
3 names of priority for the organization, and paying the requisite fee of Ksh
1,000. This takes approximately 1 day to process and present results. Once the
name is approved, the board reserves the name for a period of 60 days.
Once the name search stage has been conducted, the
registration process commences by writing a cover letter requesting registration and paying the requisite fee of Ksh 16,000 for local and Ksh
30,000 for international NGOs. The registration process should be made within
90 days from the date of payment of the aforementioned requisite fees. If the
registration is not made within the 90 days as stipulated, the customer is
informed of the delay by the board.
|
Name Search |
Name Reservation |
Registration Requirements |
Ensure to pay within 90 days after payment of Registration
Fees |
|
@Ksh.1,000/- |
For 60 Days |
Cover Letter Fees |
|
|
@16k (Local) |
|||
|
@30k (Intn’l) |
The requirements for registration include;
- A copy
of a valid police clearance (certificate of Good Conduct including the
fingerprints and receipts) for Kenyans, and equivalent notarized
clearance certificates for foreigners from their countries of origin which are not more than six (6) months Old.
- A
draft constitution of the proposed NGO must be signed by the
proposed three (3) top officials and the two (2) board members. Two (2)
copies should be signed by all the proposed board members on the execution
page, and by at least one of the proposed officials on each page.
- A list
of other board members.
- Contact
details of the proposed organization.
- Copies
of IDs/Passports and KRA PIN Certificates for the proposed officials and
Board members. Please note that at least one-third (1/3) of all the board
members should be Kenyan for all foreign-based NGOs.
- Details
of the 3 top officials.
- Information
stating the organization’s contact person.
- Minutes
authorizing the filing of the application with a specific agenda and
resolution.
- Proposed
one-year budget.
- The
charitable objectives of the organization.
- Two
colored passport-size photographs, on a white background, of the proposed
3 top officials and two other board members.
Registration fees for the NGO may vary depending on the nature of the organization whether it is national or international. An organization with a previous registration certificate is required to produce a notarized copy of the certificate accompanied by a letter from its board of directors authorizing its registration. Finally, if the organization had been registered under any other law in Kenya, a certificate of dissolution from the registering Authority MUST be presented to the board or the board must be notified of the same registration for its acceptance.