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{
    "id": 334992,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/334992/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 387,
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    "content": "efforts. I also sat in the NGO Council as one of the first founder members of the NGO Council. I have been an official of the NGO Coordination Board too. I am a person who has worked in totality in the sector and I know what kind of issues are in the NGO and the PBOs Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, having said that, this Bill wants to provide regulations, establishment and operations of PBOs. The PBOs Bill is as a result of excessive discussions and consultations within the NGOs and civil society organizations over the past three years. There have been lots of consultations around this Bill through the country. There have been regional consultations forums; there have been consultations within the civil society organization with the Government, the NGO Coordination Board and the NGO Council. There have been a lot of consultations with community based organizations in this country. There have also been consultations with the foundation and trust of this country. As I had mentioned earlier, the existing gap is a gap that the civil society organizations and the PBOs felt that they needed to be addressed. These are gaps that made us look into them and this Bill gives that opportunity to look at all the gaps that exist. It provides for regulation of PBOs. If you look at Clause 5, it provides that the only organization registered under this Act is entitled to benefits under this Act. Clause 5 defines the benefits which any organization registered under this Bill will get. The objective of this Bill is very clear. If you look at part II of this Bill, the purpose and objects are to encourage and support PBOs in their contribution to meeting the diverse needs of the people of Kenya by creating an enabling environment in which the PBOs can operate without undue interference or obstruction. It establishes an administrative and regulatory framework within which the PBOs can conduct their affairs without being harassed or without getting fear from any organ of the Government. It is encouraging the PBOs to maintain high standards of governance, transparency and accountability to improve their standards. This is very important for PBOs to maintain high standards of governance so that, being the watchdog of this country, they can look at themselves and see that there is good governance within the PBOs. This is so that they can be transparent and accountable to both the public of this country and to the Government. We have always had an opportunity of people saying that there are pretext NGOs. This Bill will create an environment where the PBOs themselves will look at each other, monitor each other and have the opportunity of them telling Kenyans what they are doing. They will be very accountable and very transparent to everybody and this is very crucial. The other purpose of this Bill is to create an environment within which the public may have access to information concerning registered PBOs so that if any PBO is doing something, the public has a right to look, ask, check and give information that is required by these regulations so that the PBOs do not just do what they feel like without involving stakeholders. It will promote co- operation and shared responsibility within the Government and among other interested persons in dealing with public benefit organizations."
}