MPs Pass Bill to Regulate Conduct of Church and School Fundraisers

The National Assembly has approved a new Bill that seeks to regulate fundraisers, locally referred to as ‘harambees’. 

The Public Fundraisers Appeals Bill 2019, which was sponsored by Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni, was passed by Parliament on Wednesday.

If the president signs the Bill into law, all fundraisers in the country will be controlled by the Public Collections Committee, chaired by the Principal Secretary in charge of social protection.

Kioni, who is the chair of the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC), says the Bill seeks to provide a legal framework on the conduct of fund drives.

It will allow the State to have control over fundraisers called by churches, schools, and groups, which have previously been accused of misusing such functions.
 
“Organizers will now be accountable for the money they receive from such meetings. Furthermore, the law opens doors for the Auditor-General to audit the funds,” said Kioni.

The proposed law will not apply to personal functions and will only affect those that touch on the public.

“With the passage of the new law, harambees will now be regulated. We have introduced a level of accountability in the manner in which fund drives are conducted,” Nominated MP David Sankok said.

Under the law, those seeking to organize a fund drive will be required to make an application to the National Committee or the relevant County Policing Authority.

Applicants will be required to include the full names and addresses of the person intending to conduct the fundraiser, the purpose of the public collection, the amount intended to be raised, and the date and venue of the event.

The functions of the National Collections Committee include collaborating with the County Policing Authority in the performance of their functions, and overseeing the conduct of fundraisers, receive, vet and process applications for the issuance of a license to conduct a public collection.