BY KORIR JUMA,NAIROBI,15TH AUG 2017-Kenya human rights commission has threatened to move to court after it was allegedly De-registered by NGO coordination board on Monday 14th August.
Addressing the press on Tuesday the commissions leadership led by chairman George Kegoro has refuted claims that the organization was operating without legal documents and had misused a total of a hundred million shillings as well as hiring expatriates without permit.
Kegoro says the latest move by the board’s chair Fazul Muhamed is meant to intimidate the organization and shrink the civil society space in the country.”The particulars cited in this later are baseless allegation which have been directed to KHRC since 2015 and we have consistently addressed and disposed them each time”.he said.
He says it was not the first time NGOs coordination board had attempted to disband the commission.In 2015 the two sides had been to court over similar claims where they obtained an injunction after it was ascertained that it had met all statutory requirements including paying taxes.
Kegoro who was accompanied by Main Kiai and Kenya national Commission on Human rights’s Patricia Nyaundi among others has also expressed displeasure in the way Fazul has been performing his duties at the board .
He claims that the board has been targeting organizations seen as watch dogs of the government.According to Kegoro Fazul has been operating beyond his office mandate and seems to be enjoying powers that are not in the constitution making him to abuse his office .”Fazul invokes powers that his office does not enjoy”.he said.
On his side Maina Kiai wondered why there were increased call in the country to those who were not content with the elections results to go to court and yet the orginizations that are to move to court are being De-registerd .”We are being asked to go to court and then they are deregistering us. We have until Friday to go to court ” said Maina Kiai.
