The Chairperson and Members of the Public Benefit Organizations Disputes Tribunal (PBODT) were on Thursday, May 14, sworn into office.
The event, held at the Supreme Court Building, was presided over by Registrar in the Office of the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary, Esther Nyaiyaki.
The newly sworn-in team comprises Chairperson Anne Wambui Nderu and members Christabel Mideva Eboso, George Robert Asewe, Prof Thomas Katua Ngui and Dr Janerose Kaithi Mutegi-Kibaara.
Speaking during the ceremony, Nyaiyaki urged the inaugural tribunal team to execute their mandate with professionalism and dedication.
"The work before you demands not only competence, but also efficiency, responsiveness and accountability," she said.
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Nyaiyaki further encouraged the tribunal to put in place systems that would enhance efficiency and effectiveness, particularly within the registry.
She also called on the tribunal to align its operations with the Judiciary’s Social Transformation Through Access to Justice (STAJ) blueprint, as well as existing institutional procedures and policies, in order to strengthen public trust and uphold the tribunal’s independence.
"We further challenge the Tribunal to work closely with both internal and external stakeholders in building a responsive, credible and people-centred institution," she added.
The PBO Disputes Tribunal is a specialized legal body created to handle disputes arising in the non-profit and civil society sector.
Its core role is to hear and determine disputes related to public benefit organizations and the regulator, the Public Benefit Organizations Regulatory Authority (PBORA).
Its key functions include handling appeals from regulatory decisions.
It hears cases where an organization or person is unhappy with decisions made by PBORA, such as refusal to register an organization, suspension or deregistration, or penalties and compliance notices.
It also resolves internal NGO disputes, including conflicts involving members of an NGO versus its leadership, internal governance or management disputes, and complaints about breach of an organization’s constitution.
Elsewhere, this comes days after the Ministry of Interior issued a warning to non-compliant non-governmental organisations, urging them to complete the transition to the new PBO framework before the May 13 deadline.
In a notice on Monday, May 4, the ministry said the transition is part of the implementation of the new Public Benefit Organizations regulations, which require affected entities to review the prescribed conditions and submit updated records for verification.
"All NGOs that have not yet transitioned to the new Public Benefit Organizations (PBO) Regulations framework are required to review the prescribed requirements and to submit the prescribed information and supporting documentation to facilitate re-registration and the issuance of the appropriate certificate," the notice read.
The ministry emphasised that the transition window is limited and that all affected organisations must complete the compliance process within the stated period.
"Kindly note that the transition period lapses on 13th May 2026, and all compliance requirements must be fulfilled within this timeframe with failure affecting the organization’s legal status in the country," the notice added.
