Lodwar – February 27, 2026 (Public Communication and Media Relations)
This World NGO Day celebration was held in Turkana County today, where the transition to the new regulatory era anchored on the Public Benefits Organizations (PBO) ACT of 2013 took centre stage.
The ceremony, marked under the theme Stronger Together: Sustaining Protection and Livelihood Gains through Partnerships, was supported by Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and convened by the Public Benefits Regulatory Authority (PBORA) with national and county government, development and humanitarian partners participating.
The Chief Guest, Principal Administrative Secretary for Interior and National Cordination, Jacob Narengo cited that Kenya was hosting more than 800,000 refugees and that many NGOs were offering both humanitarian and development service to the population.
The PAS added, the day is meant to recognize, celebrate and honour the indespensible work of the Public Benefit organizations for the services rendered, urging them to work closely with the regulatory authority to align their interventions with the national priorities.
On his part, the Deputy Governor, Dr. John Erus said that Turkana was in the process of mapping all NGOs operating in the county with an aim of ensuring their interventions are not only aligned but also create sustainable impact.
According to Dr. Erus, Turkana was already implementing a requirement in which NGOs operation must be streamlined within a particular sector or value chain that contributes to the realization of County’s priorities.
“In my many interactions with the NGOs, we have raised the need for disclosure of revenue purse. This is meant to enable us measure the impact of their interventions against their budgets and even advise on utilization of the funds,” he said.
On his side, the PBO-RA Director General, Dr. Laxmana Kiptoo, said that the transition from the initial NGO cordination Act to the Current Public Benefit organizations Act was deliberately designed to emphasize on transparency, partnership, and sustainability.
He pledged that the authority will work closely with the NGOs to strengthen compliance to the new laws during the transition period without causing service breaks and disruptions.
The Country Director for the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), Simon Nzioka reiterated the organization’s resolve to support the Shirika plan, adding that PBO-RA had created an enabling environment for development actors to operate in the development and humanitarian space alongside authorities of the county and national governments.
Dr. Jacob Khaoya, the Deputy Chief of Party at AMREF said that the presence of NGOs in Turkana and Kenya as a nation had enabled seamless service delivery.
During the event, NGOs showcased their products and innovations alongside conducting side dialogue on county to county and border area peace initiatives.
Other speakers included the County Commissioner, Julius Kavita, the Camp Manager at the Department of Refugee Services, David Siele, SNV Project Advisor, Shadrack Kiprono, and peace actors from Turkana and West Pokot counties.
