IFES yet to decide on participation in de-registration case

The International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) has asked for more time to consult on whether it will participate in a case in which the NGO Coordination board de-registered and banned its activities locally.

The court was further told that the US-based firm, IFES, would like to pursue bilateral arrangements with the government saying that the ban by the NGO Coordination board has extensive ramification.

The matter will be mentioned on March 7.

In the case, the court temporarily stopped the decision of the NGO board to de-register IFES and ban its activities after activist Okiya Omtatah told the court that the NGOs Coordination board boss, Fazul Mahamed, was not competent enough to issue such a directive.

The NGO Coordination board last year outlawed operations of IFES stopping a 2 billion shillings US-funded election education programme over claims that the organization was not registered as per the board’s regulation.