President William Ruto on Monday pointed the finger at an international organisation, the Ford Foundation, as a financier of violence in Kenya.
In his roadside address, the President warned that the Foundation risks being banned from Kenya over what he termed as threatening democracy.
“I want to call out those who are behind the anarchy in Kenya, those sponsoring the chaos in Kenya. Shame on them because they are sponsoring violence in our democratic nation.
“Nataka niulize watu wa Ford Foundation, hiyo pesa wanatoa ifanye fujo ndio wapate faida gani? [I’d like to ask the Ford Foundation who are funding this unrest, what do they stand to gain?]” Ruto stated.
In response to Ruto’s accusation, the Foundation released a statement assuring various stakeholders of its commitment to the ongoing projects and partnerships within the country.
It further refuted the claim of sponsoring violence stating: “While we acknowledge the right of Kenyans to peacefully advocate for a just and equitable country, we repudiate any actions or speech that are hateful or advocate violence against any institution, individual or community. We do not find or sponsor the recent protests against the Finance Bill and have a strictly non-partisan policy for all of our grantmaking.”
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The Ford Foundation has already supported various government initiatives in the year 2024 as well as individuals under fellowships and grants.
According to the organisation’s website, it largely aims to nurture civic space and civil society. Part of its history in Kenya includes opening a Nairobi office in 1963 and playing a significant role in establishing the University of Nairobi.
Over the six decades, the Foundation has trained civil servants and technical experts; supported political transitions through 1980s and 1990s; funded agricultural research and been involved in various economic and women empowerment efforts in East Africa – Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
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Here are some of the publicly acknowledged projects the Ford Foundation has supported in Kenya over the past four years:-
In February 2024, Chief Justice Martha Koome announced that Ford Foundation had partnered with the Judiciary under the institution’s Social Transformation through Access to Justice (STAJ) Blueprint.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei, in February 2024, also acknowledged Ford Foundation’s philanthropic support toward attainment of SDGs in Kenya.
In April 2024, Ford Foundation announced nine grantee partners of Ford’s Creativity and Civic Space initiative who stood to benefit from the initiative’s $1.25 million budget.
A Kenyan theatre collective – StoryZetu & Too Early For Birds – is among the nine grantees.
In a statement, the Foundation explained: “The initiative awards grants, communications, and convening support to 9 artists and organisations from diverse backgrounds, all of whom are working tirelessly in their regions to create open spaces and dialogues about the issues that affect their communities most.”
The media company owned by investigative journalist John-Allan Namu first secured a grant from the Ford Foundation in 2023 which was further increased in 2024.
The former speaker of the East African Youth Legislative Assembly was selected among 26 fellows in the 2024 cohort of the Ford Global Fellowship.
On their website, the Ford Global Fellowships are described as: “A $50 million, 10-year investment that aims to connect and support the next generation of leaders from around the world who are advancing innovative solutions to end inequality.”
Also in the 2024 cohort of the Ford Global Fellowship is poet Willie Oeba, who is known for performing in matatus as well as major stages.
He has previously won the East African Spoken Word Battle as well as Upcoming Human Rights Defender award by the Defenders Coalition.
The year 2020 saw the Ford Global Fellowship enlist five Kenyans in that year’s cohort; clinical informatics expert John Muthee; physician and clinical consultant Melsa Auma Omaya; policy analyst Nanjira Sambuli; criminal justice reform advocate Teresa Njoroge and Food 4 Education proprietor Wawira Njiru.
