The African Population and Health Research Center, Inc. (APHRC Inc.) would like to categorically deny allegations of financial impropriety being made by the NGOs Coordination Board and disseminated in broadcast and print media on October 28 and 29, 2015. We consider this to be a gross misrepresentation of the organization as the information about two legal entities has been conflated.
APHRC Inc. is a US-registered 501(c) 3 entity incorporated under the Laws of the State of Delaware, USA. In 2001, the organization was registered under the Companies Act (CAP 279). APHRC-Kenya was subsequently registered in 2003 as a Kenya-based NGO with the NGOs Coordination Board and is responsible for all activities related to Community Development in the two urban slum areas in Nairobi where we conduct urban health and demographic surveillance surveys.
Both entities have submitted timely and accurate annual returns to their respective oversight agencies since their year of registration. APHRC Inc. submits annual audited reports to both the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and to the Registrar of Companies in Kenya. APHRC-Kenya submits annual returns to the NGO Coordination Board.
As per the attached letter, we have advised the NGOs Coordination Board of the erroneous conflation of the two legal entities, and we have provided them with copies of annual returns filed for the financial year ended December 2014 complete with audited accounts.
APHRC Inc. and APHRC-Kenya will continue their practice of strong financial management and assiduous reporting in line with Kenyan and US laws, and we contest, in the strongest possible terms, all allegations of financial malpractice. We are confident that these allegations will be retracted after close examination of our records.
These accusations will not detract us from our commitment to conducting research of the highest standard and with the most rigorous methods of validation in support of our mission to provide the people of Africa with the highest possible quality of life through policies and practices informed by robust scientific evidence.
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Joseph Gichuru Wang’ombe
Director of Operations
For further clarification on this matter, please email jgichuru@aphrc.org