Court halts deregistration of Evans Kidero Foundation

The High Court has temporarily stopped the deregistration of Evans Kidero Foundation, pending hearing and determination of a case lodged by the Nairobi Governor challenging the decision of the NGO Co-ordination Board to deregister the organization.

Governor Evans Kidero’s lawyer, Willis Otieno, told the court that NGO Co-ordination Board failed to follow the due process in deregistering the organization.

“The Board may have violated the rights of the applicant and did not follow due process in coming up with that decision,” said Lawyer Otieno.

High Court Judge, George Odunga, directed the matter to be heard on March 13, 2016.

The board had struck off the Foundation of NGOs register arguing that it failed to respond to queries regarding its sources of funding, even after being allowed extended time.

In December 2016, NGO Co-ordination Board suspended activities of Evans Kidero Foundation until such a time when its directors would submit audited accounts for the past four years.

The NGO did not comply with the order within the given 14 days and even within extended 30 days, prompting the board to make good of its threats to deregister it on grounds of contravening provisions of its registration act and regulations.

The NGO Co-ordination Board accuses the foundation of transacting millions of shillings within the period under review yet it has no stipulated donors.

Further, Evans Kidero Foundation was found to operate undisclosed bank accounts and having its listed directors as officials of Nairobi City County government.

However, the Nairobi governor, Kidero, claims that his institution provided to Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) all the required information and was cleared.

He has vowed to fight the misinformation and maligning of his organization.