Controversial Head of Kenya’s Charity Regulator Resigns
28 February 2018 at 2:27 pm
The controversial head of Kenya’s national charity regulator, Fazul Mahamed, has resigned.
Mahamed, whose three year tenure as the chief executive of Non Governmental Organisations Co-ordination Board has been plagued with controversy, tendered his resignation letter to the chairman of the board of directors, Amos Ntimama, on Monday.
During his tenure Mahamed battled questions over his qualifications, and also came under fire from many in the charity sector that he was working at the behest of senior government officials.
Towards the end of last year he faced significant backlash after he launched a series of actions deregistering major NGOs operating in the country, some of which were owned by politicians.
However on Monday he said his time at the board had been “nothing short of pure excitement and joy”.
“It is with deep regret that I submit my notice of resignation as chief executive officer effective 1 May 2018,” Mahamed said.
“I wish to sincerely thank the board of directors for the invaluable opportunities extended and I commit to [an] effective, expedient and smooth transition.
“Finally, I would like to wish the board the very best in its endeavours of creating an enabling environment for thriving of the charity sector and for the continuous demand for greater accountability and transparency amongst NGOs.”
Its with deep regret that we announce the Resignation of our Executive Director Fazul Mahamed. We wish you all the best Sir.
@ntvkenya @citizentvkenya @KTNKenya @KTNNews @K24Tv. pic.twitter.com/lWlBspwhBo— NGOs BOARD, KENYA (@ngoboardkenya) February 26, 2018
The letter does not give reasons for his resignation.
However it follows an ongoing debate over whether he was hired despite lacking the appropriate qualifications.
The board’s executive director is required to have served for 10 years in public service and hold a master’s degree.
Following an investigation, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission declared in May 2017 that Mahamed did not have the appropriate qualifications when he was hired.
“Investigations revealed that by the time the CEO was being appointed, he did not have a degree certificate which was a basic requirement for the position,” the EACC said at the time.
“He was not qualified for the position during the time of his appointment.”
The agency also said it had sought to obtain a forged certificate Mahamed had presented but that it was untraceable.
“It was suspected that it may have been removed from his personal file and concealed. In the absence of the certificate, a prosecution against him could not be sustained,” the EACC said.
Mahamed later sought to block investigations into his academic qualifications.
He had his term at the board controversially extended after it had come to an end in November 2017, leading to a lawsuit.
In December, the Employment and Labour Relations Court issued orders preventing the government from renewing or extending his term of office.
The interior ministry has now advertised the position of NGO Coordination Board CEO.
