Authority rolls out transition process for NGOs under PBO Act

The Authority has today issued an advisory on transition of organizations registered under the repealed NGOs Co-ordination Act No. 19 of 1990 into the Public Benefit Organizations (PBO) Act, 2013 framework.

Director General Dr Laxmana P. Kiptoo announced that all NGOs previously registered under the repealed law automatically transitioned into PBOs and are, therefore, not required to apply for fresh registration.

The advisory follows parliamentary approval of the PBO Regulations, 2026, which marked the commencement of the full implementation of the PBO regulatory framework in Kenya.

The Authority noted that the law requires it to maintain an updated register of all PBOs operating in the country, including details on governance, areas of operation, and organizational records.

To facilitate the update of the register, national and international PBOs are required to submit, through the eCitizen platform, particulars of their governing bodies, revised constitutions aligned to the PBO Act, minutes containing resolutions on transition and constitutional amendments, as well as copies of their certificates of registration issued under the repealed Act.

Upon submission and verification of the required documents, the Authority will issue organizations with certificates under the PBO Act bearing new registration numbers while retaining the initial registration date and previous registration number to support seamless engagement with donors, partners, service providers and government agencies.

Read the full Advisory No. 1 of 2026 on Automatic Transition here.