This archive report was first published on 9 July 2019.
On July 9, 2019, 25 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) at the Coast issued a one-week ultimatum to the National Assembly to review a Miscellaneous Amendment Act that has given the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) more powers to control CSOs.
The Act, passed by MPs recently, has amended the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) and given the NCTC more power to regulate all CSOs and international NGOs doing Counter Violence Extremism (CVE) work.
According to the Act, the NCTC shall be an approving and reporting institution for all civil society organizations and international non-governmental organizations engaged in preventing and countering extremism and radicalization.
However, Coast CSOs argue that the mandate of NCTC, as established under Section 40 of Prevention of Terrorism Act, is to coordinate national counter-terrorism efforts, not to control CSOs and NGOs.
They claim that they already report to the NGOs Coordination Board, and the amendment is a duplication of roles, forcing NGOs to get approvals from two different state agencies.
CSOs, comprising Haki Africa, Muslims for Human Rights, Human Rights Agenda, and Manyatta Youth, among others, say the new changes in the law undermine their work.
Haki Africa Executive Director Hussein Khalid stated, 'We want to maintain our independence. We are not ready to be controlled or manipulated by state agencies.'
He added, 'If NCTC is allowed to exercise the powers to control CSOs, the country will lose its democracy.'
Yusuf Lule, the Executive Director of Human Rights Agenda (HURIA), described the amendment as a 'big disappointment' to the CSOs in the country.
Nichola Songora of Manyatta Youth CBO announced that they will move to court and hold demonstrations to oppose the new Act.
