Civil society organisations across Kenya have been handed a fresh lifeline after the government pushed forward the deadline for NGOs to transition into the new Public Benefits Organisation (PBO) framework, granting them an additional year to comply with the law.
The move, announced through a special gazette notice by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, shields hundreds of organisations from immediate pressure to undergo fresh registration or risk possible deregistration under the Public Benefits Organisations Act.
In the notice dated May 12, 2026, Murkomen officially prolonged the transition period provided under the Act, allowing NGOs more time to align with the new legal and regulatory requirements governing public benefit organisations in the country.
“It is notified for the general information of the public that pursuant to paragraph 5 (2) of the Fifth Schedule to the Public Benefits Organisations Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration further extends by one year the period within which a non-government organisation shall seek registration as a public benefits organisation under the Act,” the gazette notice stated.