Authority, NPOs step up efforts on Countering Financing of Terrorism

Mr. Richard Chesos, Manager Corporate Communication, at the Public Benefit Organizations Regulatory Authority speaking at Prideinn Paradise Hotel during the PBOs sensitization workshop on AML/CFT in Mombasa.

Authority, NPOs step up efforts on Countering Financing of Terrorism

NEWS / Mon, 04/20/2026 - 15:33

Hundreds of Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) are being sensitised on Countering Financing of Terrorism (CFT) as Kenya steps up efforts to fight the vice.

The countrywide sensitisation exercise, supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and GIZ, involves various partners, including the Kenya Non-Profit Organisations (NPO) Working Group on Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

The FATF is a global watchdog leading the fight against money laundering, terrorist and proliferation financing. A two-day sensitisation session started today in Mombasa for more than 100 Public Benefit Organisations that fit into the FATF definition of NPO in the Coast region.

NPOs in other regions of the country will be sensitised in the course of this and next month.

Director General, Dr Laxmana Kiptoo, said the sensitisation trainings are critical, as they will improve integrity, accountability, and ultimately contribute to the NPO sector’s sustainability.

“It is important to emphasize that this sensitization exercise is not enforcement-driven; it is collaborative and preventive in nature,” he said.

Dr Kiptoo added, “Our goal is to enhance awareness, build capacity, and equip organizations with the knowledge and tools necessary to identify and mitigate risks associated with terrorism financing.”

He said the training will be held in Kilifi and Kwale in the Coast region and Garissa in the North Eastern region before being rolled out in other parts of the country.

The DG said all NPOs at risk of being abused for terrorist financing will be targeted in the training.

While officially closing the PBO Week 2026 last Saturday in Mombasa, the DG asked PBOs to participate in the sensitization trainings, saying that it was important that they collectively protect the sector from any forms of abuse.

The CFT topic was given prominence during the PBO Week 2026, with the Director General of the Financial Reporting Centre, Mr. Naftali Rono, appraising the country on progress made.

There was also a whole-day discussion on the subject by all actors at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Nairobi, on March 15, 2026.

More to follow...