The Kenyan government has sent a stern letter to the Ford Foundation, demanding transparency and accountability from the organization regarding its grantees involved in recent anti-government protests that rocked the country.
According to a letter dated July 18, 2024, signed by Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei, the Kenyan government is concerned about the unexplained funding of some organizations linked to the protests.
The letter states that these organizations received a total of US$ 5.78 Million (approximately Kenya Shillings 752 Million) between April 2023 and May 2024, with an unexplained expedited funding amounting to US$ 1.49 M (approximately Kenya shillings 194 million) over the last month alone.
The government has accused some of the Ford Foundation’s grantees of being at the center of the anti-Finance Bill protests and subsequent anarchic mobilizations that have disrupted peace and security in the country. Sing’oei expressed concern that the funds disbursed to non-state recipients are substantial and must be used prudently to serve legitimate purposes or risk being abused for nefarious ends.
The government is demanding that the Ford Foundation provide full details of its grantees over the last year, including programs approved, budgets for each project, amounts disbursed, and what is pipelined for disbursement. The government also wants reports from the grantees detailing activities carried out, costs, and beneficiaries.
Furthermore, Kenya wants the Ford Foundation to clarify its compliance with its Non-Lobbying Policy and prescribe any sanctions it will impose for breaches of the law or internal policies. The government regrets that the recent protests led to loss of lives and destruction of property despite concessions made to demands that informed the protests at their early stages.
The letter concludes by urging the Ford Foundation to take immediate action to address these concerns and ensure that its grantees operate within the bounds of the law.
