Interior Principal Secretary Dr. Raymond Omollo on Thursday, December 19 warned non-profit organizations against funding illegal activities in the country, including terrorism.

Speaking during the launch of the Terrorism Financing Sectoral Risk Assessment Report for Non-Profit Organizations at the Radisson Blu, Nairobi, PS Omollo called upon non-governmental organisation to ensure that donor funds are utilised in legal purposes.

The terrorism financing risk assessment, PS Omollo revealed, identified key areas which require the State’s attention.

The key areas include;

• Non-Profit Organizations operating in regions with active terrorist activity, particularly near our borders.
• Lack of adequate financial controls among some organizations.
• Exposure to unverifiable funding sources, especially for non-profits from high-risk regions.
• Vulnerabilities posed by faith-based organizations.

“Looking at the number of agencies that are involved in this assessment it goes to demonstrate that we are making the right steps along fostering the collaboration across various agencies,” he said. “The government is keen on the vulnerability posed by Faith Based Organisations.

This risk assessment was commissioned by the Government of Kenya to assess the level and nature of the terrorism financing risk to non-profit organizations (NPOs) in Kenya.

The risk assessment was led by a Technical Group comprising the Public Benefit Organizations Regulatory Authority (PBORA), formerly NGOs Co-ordination Board, Financial Reporting Centre (FRC), Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI) and the Kenya National Civil Society Centre (KNCSC).

It was overseen and approved by an Oversight Group comprising 14 government authorities and 13 civil society organizations.