Who we are
Mashirika Law helps Public Benefit Organizations understand and work with the PBO Act, 2013 — through plain-language guidance, compliance tools, and confidential civic-space monitoring.
Photo: McKay Savage / Wikimedia Commons
Our role
Mashirika Law safeguards civic space by making the Public Benefit Organizations Act easier to use for organisations on the ground. This platform offers source-linked guidance, registration and compliance tools, and a way to report what is happening during implementation.
The content is informational. It is compiled from approved legal materials and reviewed by Mashirika Law staff. It is not a substitute for legal advice, and it does not replace filings with the Public Benefit Organizations Regulatory Authority.
From the NGO Act to the PBO Act
For many years, Kenyan civil society registered under more than one law. Non-governmental organisations registered under the Non-Governmental Organizations Co-ordination Act, 1990. Community-based organisations were usually registered through the Department of Social Development. Other groups operated as societies or trusts under those separate laws.
The NGO Co-ordination Board administered the 1990 Act. It registered NGOs, kept the register, and coordinated regulation of organisations that fell under that law. Community-based organisations stayed outside the Board and continued on the social-development registration route.
Parliament passed the Public Benefit Organizations Act in 2013 to replace that split system with one framework for public benefit organisations. The Act commenced on 14 May 2024. It repealed the NGO Co-ordination Act and established the Public Benefit Organizations Regulatory Authority (PBORA), which took over the functions of the NGO Co-ordination Board.
Organisations already registered under the repealed Act are treated as having moved into the PBO framework. PBORA’s public advisory is that they do not apply for a fresh registration. They submit updated particulars, a constitution aligned to the Act, and the minutes the Authority asks for, so they can be entered on the PBO register and issued a certificate. Confirm the current transition steps on PBORA’s website, because that process is still being implemented.
ICNL partnership
This platform is developed with the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) as part of civic space safeguarding work in Kenya.
Together we support PBOs, community organisations, and partners with practical, bilingual tools so they can register, stay compliant, and share registration experiences and enabling practices in confidence.