RTI Is Now an Officially Registered Community Based Organization
We are proud and overjoyed to share a milestone years in the making: Refugee Thrive Initiative is now an officially registered Community Based Organization (CBO) in Kenya.
On 28 October 2026, RTI was duly registered by the Directorate of Social Development, under the Community Group Registration Act (No. 30 of 2022) — Registration No. DSD/47/289/02/265016. Our certificate was issued the following day, 29 October 2026, signed by Rukia Ali Osman, for the Director of Social Development.
What This Means
Since our founding, RTI has operated as a grassroots, refugee-led community initiative — guided entirely by lived experience and community trust, long before we had any formal legal standing. Official registration changes that. It means:
- RTI is now a legally recognized entity under Kenyan law, accountable to the Directorate of Social Development
- We can open a formal organizational bank account and build proper financial receipting systems for donors
- We are eligible for partnerships, grants, and institutional funding that require registered CBO status
- Our community — the refugees, volunteers, and local leaders who built this organisation from nothing — now has a permanent, legally protected home for this work
A Milestone Built by the Community
This registration belongs to everyone who believed in RTI from its earliest days: the refugee community members who first organized informal conversations in Nairobi, the volunteers who taught the first digital skills classes, the families who trusted us with their children's education, and the donors and mentors who supported us while we were still finding our footing.
What's Next
With official registration secured, we're now focused on formalizing our financial systems, deepening our governance structure, and pursuing the institutional partnerships that registered status makes possible. If your organisation is looking to partner with a registered, refugee-led CBO in Nairobi, now is the time to reach out.
Want to be part of the next chapter? Visit our Contact page or explore ways to get involved.