"Beware conmen on the prowl pretending to assist needy members of the public to access donor funds at a fee," Embu residents have been warned.
The conmen purport to be representatives of Non-Governmental Organisations working on poverty alleviation projects in Embu. But none of the NGOs is registered, says Gloria Njoki, the managing director of Deafop, an NGO that caters for the welfare of the deaf persons.
They target individuals, groups and people with disabilities seeking assistance for the registration of poverty alleviation organisations at a fee. Those who pay are never assisted.
Money is also demanded for the"filing of returns" yet that is the sole responsibility of specific NGOs.
Njoki said fake NGOs have been operating in the county and several people and groups have lost thousands of money to the conmen.
“Many people have been crying after parting with money to the sweet-talking directors of the fake NGOs. The donor money never comes,” she said.
Njoki called on the government to screen all NGOs in the country to save the public from conmen bleeding the vulnerable and ignorant of the little they have.
Njoki said most registered NGOs in Embu offer proper services.
She welcomed chief executive officer of NGOs Coordination Board Mutuma Nkanata’s recent threat to deregister NGOs which have not filed returns.
A week ago, Mutuma said in Kisumu that the NGOs which have not filed their returns risked being deregistered.
edited by f. mwaniki
