Haki Afrika executive director Mr Khalid Hussein together with Ms Amina
Bakari (centre) and Norah Leila, the family members of the late Leila
Omar who died in mysterious circumstances in France address the a press
on 19 Jan 2015. The UK has turned down a request by Kenya that it stops
funding Haki Afrika, a Mombasa-based NGO that the government has linked
to terrorism. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA |
The UK has turned down a request by Kenya that it stops funding
Haki Afrika, a Mombasa-based NGO that the government has linked to
terrorism.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry had on May 12,
written protest letters to the US, UK and Norwegian governments asking
them to stop funding the organisation whose bank accounts were frozen in
the wake of the attack on the Garissa University College last month.
The
letters, signed by Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho,
said Haki Afrika’s activities posed a serious threat to national
security and jeopardised Kenya’s efforts at combating terrorism.
The
letter to the UK High Commission in Nairobi said: “It is noted that the
High Commission has been and continues to fund the said
entity. Specifically
in the financial year 2013-2014, the High Commission funded Haki Africa
to the tune of Sh11,099,341. The Ministry therefore wishes to draw the
High Commission’s attention to the foregoing and to advise that its
association with Haki Africa should cease forthwith.”
The letter further said that Haki Africa had been operating illegally.
Contacted
for a comment, the UK government said it had asked Nairobi to furnish
it with evidence on Haki Afrika’s alleged links to terrorist activities
before it can stop funding the human rights NGO.
“We
recognise the need to ensure that organisations are not being used for
illicit purposes, such as terrorist or extremist financing. We are also
clear that Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have a key role to play in
countering the ideology of violent extremism. We must work together on
this agenda,” said Mr Stephen Burns, the head of communication at the UK
mission in Nairobi. “We must move from the battle ground to the common
ground; we need collaboration not confrontation.”
Haki Afrika’s Executive Director Hussein Khalid expressed shock at the government’s move to cut off its funding.
“We
are surprised by the contents of that letter. We have been working
closely with the government and therefore this is a shock to us,” he
said.
Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar also defended Haki
Afrika and accused the government of trying to intimidate organisations
that are demanding accountability in the fight against terrorism.
“These
countries supporting Haki Afrika have their own intelligence, much
superior to Kenya’s and by the time they decide to support Haki Afrika
or any other organisation for that matter, they must have satisfied
themselves that the benefiting organisations are worthy of their
support.”
He asked the three countries to ignore the government’s request.
According to the NGO Co-ordination Board Executive Director, Mr Fazul Mohammed Yusuf, the NGO has been operating illegally.
“Haki
Afrika is not registered under the NGO Act. It is a criminal offence
for an entity to operate in the country without registration. Another
offence by Haki Afrika is that they opened and are running bank accounts
without the approval of the NGO co-ordination board,” he said.
According to Mr Kibicho’s letters, the US has so far given more than Sh3 million to Haki Africa.
“Due
to the seriousness of the matter, the Ministry would be grateful to
receive an acknowledgement of this communication and to be advised on
the Embassy’s action on the same,” the letter addressed to the US
embassy said in part.
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