The National Assembly on Thursday approved the appointment of five individuals nominated to serve as the Chairperson and Members of the Public Benefit Organizations Dispute Tribunal (PBODT).
This follows the tabling of a report on the Vetting of the nominees by the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs (JLAC), chaired by Tharaka MP, Hon. George Murugara, during a sitting held on Tuesday, 17th June 2025.
The five appointees include: Eunice Adoyo Otieno Arwa (Chairperson), Christabel Mideva Eboso, Elizabeth Mbithe Mulwa, Leonard Kinyulusi, and Mohamed Sheikh Noor.
The PBODT is established under the Public Benefit Organizations Act, 2013, which came into effect on 14th May 2024.
The Act provides a legal framework for the registration and regulation of Public Benefit Organizations (PBOs) in Kenya, replacing the previous NGO Act.
The Tribunal is mandated to handle disputes arising within Kenya’s civil society and non-profit sectors.
During debate on the report, Murugara emphasized the need for broader reforms in the tribunal vetting process, noting that the PBODT remains the only tribunal in Kenya requiring parliamentary approval.
“Seeing that this is the only tribunal requiring vetting, I believe it is high time we extend this requirement to all tribunals, to create parity and ensure merit-based appointments,” he said.
He further revealed that JLAC would soon table a Tribunals Bill aimed at harmonizing the operations and governance of tribunals across the country.
Kibwezi West MP and JLAC Vice Chairperson, Mwengi Mutuse, commended the establishment of the Tribunal, stating that it promotes self-regulation within the public benefit sector and curbs mismanagement and misuse of resources.
Nominated MP, Suleikha Harun, on her part, lauded the Chief Justice for promoting gender equality through the nomination of women to key leadership positions, in line with the two-thirds gender rule.
