Government defends granting tax waivers, immunity to Global Centre on Adaptation

Principal Secretary in the State Department for Foreign Affairs Dr Korir Sing’Oei. (Photo: State Department for Foreign Affairs)

By Lucy Mumbi
Sunday, October 12, 2025

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei explained that GCA, an international non-governmental organisation based in Rotterdam, Netherlands, led by Professor Patrick V. Verkooijen, fulfilled all criteria before receiving immunity.

The government has defended its decision to grant tax waivers and diplomatic-style immunity to the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA), saying the international organisation met all legal and procedural requirements before being accorded host country status.

This follows public outcry from a section of Kenyans questioning the arrangement.

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In a statement on Saturday, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei explained that GCA, an international non-governmental organisation based in Rotterdam, Netherlands, led by Professor Patrick V. Verkooijen, fulfilled all criteria before receiving immunity.

“The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs received a request from GCA on July 27, 2023, for consideration for a Host Country Agreement (HCA) to facilitate the establishment and operation of its Regional Office in Nairobi. The office was intended to support Kenya’s climate diplomacy and green growth agenda,” the PS said.

Korir added that the process culminated on April 20, 2025, when the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs signed Legal Notice No. 82, granting privileges and immunities to GCA and its internationally recruited staff. Parliament later ratified the decision on September 30, 2025, following stakeholder consultations and public participation as required under section 17 of the Privileges and Immunities Act.

The ministry clarified that GCA was not given any special privileges beyond those necessary for its operations. These include tax exemptions on specific goods, protection from legal suits arising from good faith actions and work permits for staff.

“The privileges conferred to GCA are not special. They are similar to those granted to over 170 other non-state entities providing technical assistance in Kenya since 1984. These include Oxfam, Save the Children, Union of Radio and Television Africa, Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International, World Wide Fund for Nature, International Cooperative Alliance, The Centre for African Family Studies, International Planned Parenthood, and the Lutheran World Federation,” Korir said.

The government also rejected claims that external actors influenced the decision to grant GCA host country status.

The clarification comes after digital creator Lynn Ngugi and other Kenyans expressed concern over the immunity extended to GCA.

Ngugi cited recent investigations by Dutch media, including NOS News, which allege that GCA misled donors and exaggerated its impact to secure funding. According to the reports, GCA falsely claimed involvement in World Bank–funded projects, including a $100 million project in Congo.

Former staff also accused the organisation of pressuring employees to inflate results and fostering a toxic culture aimed at financial gain.

“These are the same people Ruto’s government quietly granted diplomatic-style immunity, the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA). Yet this is the organisation Kenya has shielded from prosecution, audit or legal scrutiny under a deal signed by President Ruto’s government,” Ngugi wrote on X.

She further questioned the rationale behind granting immunity to a climate NGO with alleged misconduct in Europe.

“Why does a climate NGO that misleads donors in Europe need immunity in Africa?”

However, the ministry reiterated that the approval followed all legal procedures and was in line with Kenya’s commitments under the Privileges and Immunities Act.