Police, KRA raid AfriCOG offices

Police and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officers on Wednesday morning raided Africa Centre for Open Governance (AfriCOG) offices at Lavington in Nairobi a day after NGOs Coordinating Board had requested Director of Criminal Investigations Ndegwa Muhoro to halt its operations.

Human rights lawyer Maina Kiai asked why the tax authorities had to bring three vanloads of police.

They say they have got a search warrant but the search warrant does not name AfriCOG. The order does not specify what they are coming to do,” he said. The NGOs Coordinating Board had accused AfriCOG of failing to register and operating illegal bank accounts.

The notice to close down AfriCOG came a day after similar action was taken against one of the country’s oldest civil society group, Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC). The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein criticised the action taken against AfriCOG and KHRC.

Hussein also condemned calls to have AfriCOG directors and members arrested.

“The high commissioner wants civil society and media to be allowed to work without hindrance or fear of retaliation,” the statement said.

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Michelle Kagari, Amnesty International deputy regional director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes, said: “The NGO Coordination Board’s decision must be seen for what it really is – a cynical attempt to discredit human rights organisations. This is an unlawful and irresponsible move in this critical post-election period.” Just before the August 8 polls, AfriCOG had asked the courts to compel the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to open the voters’ register for public scrutiny.

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) said the NGO board’s decision to de-register KHRC and AfriCOG was illegal and asked acting Interior CS Fred Matiang’i to rescind the move.

In a statement, LSK President Isaac Okero pointed out that a 14-day notice period was not given, thus making the pronouncement ineffective, as it has no force of law.