The government has ordered all Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Public Benefits Organizations (PBOs) operating in Kenya to align their operations with President William Ruto's bottom-up agenda.
In a statement by Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo on Friday, he said that the directive followed revelations that the donor aid model favoured the interests of international donor organisations than supporting Kenya's national development agenda.
He noted that the order would benefit the developmental projects in the local communities, in line with the bottom-up economic agenda which focuses on promoting the investments of ordinary Kenyans and empowering them financially.
"This will guarantee greater partnership and synergies among different parties working in the aid industry to ensure that donor aid is not only producing better impacts for Kenya but also benefits local communities," Omollo said.
"Our prime focus is on optimizing the value of all projects and programmes funded through international aid to ensure they complement our developmental plan outlined in the bottom-up agenda."
According to the Interior PS, the call for changes in operations was informed following a review of the NGOs and PBOs registered in the country.
NGOs, both local and international, contribute to the socio-economic development of Kenya not only through the inflow of funds but also by providing employment to thousands of Kenyans.
According to the 2023 NGO Sector Report, 12,162 organisations have been licensed to operate in the country, with over Ksh175.9 billion sent in the last financial year.
Of the total amount, Ksh102 billion was spent on development projects in the country, while Ksh16 billion was spent in other countries.
Health projects received a total Ksh31 billion followed by child development programs at Ksh10.5 billion, education projects at Ksh10.1 billion and refugee assistance programs at Ksh3.7 billion.
In June, PS Omollo urged the NGOs to align their priorities with the government's agenda of providing credit to the poor and affordable housing.
"These initiatives should now be aligned with government priorities of access to affordable credit for low-income earners, informal traders, women and youth enterprises through the now famous Hustler Fund and the provision of affordable housing," he said.
