UN, Amnesty International Castigate Delisting of NGOs in Kenya

Two international bodies, United Nations and Amnesty International have separately castigated the recent move by the NGO Coordination Board to delist human rights organizations in the country.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein on Tuesday said UN was “deeply concerned” over the decision to shutdown the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHCR) and the African Centre for Open Governance (AfriCOG).

Speaking at UN offices in Geneva, Zeid called for “civil society actors and media to be allowed to work without hindrance or fear of retaliation.”

Meanwhile, Amnesty International termed the NGO Coordination Board's directives as “grotesque.”

"The board's action “must be seen for what it really is — a cynical attempt to discredit human rights organisations,” said Michelle Kagari, Amnesty’s deputy director for East Africa, the Horn and Great Lakes.

“This is an unlawful and irresponsible move in this critical post-election period,” she added.

“The Kenyan authorities must rein in the NGO Coordination Board and not allow such grotesque witch-hunts to take place.”

NGO coordination board Executive Director Fazul Mohamed on Tuesday asked Directorate of Criminal Investigations to shut down AfriCOG, alleging it was operating without registration.

This came a day after Mohamed de-listed KHRC on accounts of failing to pay taxes, illegally employing expatriates, running illegal bank accounts among others.