Vet NGOs, but allow them to operate freely

From left: Mr Henry Ochido, NGO Board deputy director, Mr Fazul Mahamed, the executive director, and Ms Juliana Akinyi, the head of operations, address journalists at Co-operative House in Nairobi on December 16, 2014. The NGO Co-ordination Board has reinstated 179 organisations deregistered last week. PHOTO | RAY OCHIENG |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Summary

• There was no convincing reason for deregistering the organisations. Claims that the NGOs had failed to file returns or account for their money were just a smokescreen.
• This is not to say that the NGOs are blameless; some of them engage in dubious activities and deserve to be penalised.
• A government that seeks to silence civil organisations is veering off the democratic path.

When the government banned 500 non-governmental organisations about a week ago, there was a public outcry since the action seemed to have been triggered by extraneous motives.

The Opposition and the United States were among the critical voices and the point being made was that the government was quietly and steadily stifling independent institutions perceived to oppose its views.

There was no convincing reason for deregistering the organisations. Claims that the NGOs had failed to file returns or account for their money were just a smokescreen. At any rate, such infractions are best handled administratively.

So when the government lifted the ban on 179 NGOs after a few days, the critics seemed to have been vindicated. There was no compelling reason in the first place to slam such a hefty penalty on organisations, most of which have done a commendable job in improving the lives of many people.

This is not to say that the NGOs are blameless; some of them engage in dubious activities and deserve to be penalised. For example, those that support terrorists must be outlawed. However, the criteria for isolating the bad ones must be clearly articulated.

Applying a blanket rule and condemning all NGOs is unacceptable. A government that seeks to silence civil organisations is veering off the democratic path. Such scenarios were witnessed in the 1980s and 1990s and we would abhor the return of that trend.

Add to the aggressive passing of the controversial security law last week and the picture of an intolerant administration plays out.

The country has made major leaps towards democracy in the past two decades and we would not want to see actions that roll back the gains. Vet the NGOs and ensure they are above board, but let them operate without intimidatio