/ 8 September 1998

Kenya deregisters Islamic NGOs

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Nairobi | Tuesday 10.00pm.

KENYA on Tuesday deregistered six international Islamic non-governmental organisations as a direct result of the August bombing of the United States embassy in the capital, Nairobi in which 240 people died and 5000 were injured.

Announcing the decision, government-appointed NGO Co-ordination Board chairman John Etemesi warned that the board will not tolerate any NGO which deviates from its role and interferes with the running of the country.

Etemesi said the board, which was convened to discuss the activities of NGOs in the country, “was shocked to learn from reliable sources that some NGOs had involved themselves in activities which they were not registered for”. He did not elaborate further.

The deregistered organisations include the Mercy Relief International Agency, whose premises were raided soon after the bombing by the American FBI and Kenyans CID, the Al-Haramid Foundation, Help Africa People, International Islamic Relief Organisation, Ibrahim bin Abdulla Asiz al-Ibrahim Foundation and Islabid Efraim al-Islam.