The government has established a specialised multi-agency team to crack down on non-profit organisations found to be potentially linked to the financing of terror activities.Formally gazetted by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen in a notice dated September 2, the new taskforce is responsible for identifying and monitoring high-risk charitable entities, while enforcing compliance across the sector.“It is notified for the general information of the public that the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration has constituted a working group to be known at the Multi-Agency Coordination Working Group on Non-Profit Organisations at Risk of Terrorism Financing,” the notice stated.The move signals that non-profits across the country will be subject to financial audits, tighter operational oversight, as well as potential regulatory sanctions. Led by the Ministry of Interior, the task force brings together key state agencies such as the Financial Reporting Centre and the National Counter-Terrorism Centre. Additionally, the team will be composed of officials from the Attorney-General’s office, the Public Benefit Organisation Regulatory Authority (PBORA), the Business Registration Service (BRS), the Registrar of Societies, and the Directorate of Social Development. The team is mandated to facilitate seamless information sharing between statutory bodies while ensuring non-profits undergo structured sensitisation on terror financing risks. Secretariat services for the panel will be overseen by PBORA, with the unit expected to submit comprehensive annual reports directly to Murkomen.According to the notice, the taskforce holds powers to draft its own operational procedures, conduct necessary research studies, and co-opt relevant external institutions to assist in executing its duties.The intervention builds on reforms passed by Parliament in April 2025, which introduced anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing mandates for non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including enhanced regulatory supervision and routine financial reviews administered by PBORA.In May, the ministry directed all NGOs to transition to the new Public Benefit Organisations (PBO) regulatory framework or risk deregistration and losing official recognition in Kenya, though the timeline was extended.The heightened scrutiny directly addresses Kenya’s inclusion on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in 2024, an international classification designated for countries that require increased financial monitoring.Tightening regulatory oversight of non-profit cash flows is an effort to meet Kenya’s commitments to international watchdogs and expedite its removal from the list.
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