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By Wahome Ngatia
On a fine Monday afternoon, President William Ruto visited Nakuru to launch a project. Standing atop his Land Cruiser Prado, he accused the Ford Foundation of financing anti-government protests.
“Nataka niulize watu wa Ford Foundation watuambie hio pesa wanatoa, wanatoa ifanye fujo ndio wapate faida gani?” (I want to ask the people in Ford Foundation to tell us what benefit they get from donating funds that are causing chaos).
The President’s statement came amid unrelenting pressure and protests that had forced him to make concessions. The previous week, he had dismissed his entire cabinet except for Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. He had tried to negotiate with the Gen Zs by joining them on X spaces to hear their grievances. However, none of his concessions seemed to quell the protests. The deployment of the military on the streets of Nairobi and government abductions, labeled as arrests, did little to calm the unrest.
In his bare-knuckled response, Ruto targeted the private foundation, accusing it of sponsoring anarchy.
“We are going to call them out and tell them if they are not interested in democracy in Kenya, if they are going to sponsor violence and anarchy, we will call them out and tell them they either style up or leave.”
Less than an hour later, he reiterated his comments on his X account.
“Our youth are not available for retrogressive assignments. Those sponsoring them to cause violence and mayhem must be ashamed of themselves. We ask the Ford Foundation to explain to Kenyans its role in the recent protests,” his account stated.
The next day, the Ford Foundation responded through its regional communication manager. Ms. Tolu Onafowokan, the foundation’s director of strategic communication, told the Nation that they adhere to a strictly non-partisan policy.
“We do not fund or sponsor the recent protests against the Finance Bill and have a strictly non-partisan policy for all our grant making,” Onafowokan wrote.
The story didn’t end there. Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing’oei wrote a letter to the global President of Ford Foundation, Darren Walker. The PS demanded an explanation from the more than 60-year-old foundation, detailing the beneficiaries of their Ksh 752 million in donations.
In that letter, the PS noted some unexplained fast-track grants amounting to $1.49 million (Ksh 194 million) in the last month. Sing’oei named the following organizations, accusing them of destabilizing the country and detailing the amounts they received from the Ford Foundation:
- Africa Uncensored Limited (Project Mulika) – ($250,000)
- Women’s Link Worldwide – ($750,000)
- Centre for Resource Mobilization and Development – ($20,000)
- Transform Empowerment for Action Initiative – ($220,000)
- Kenya Human Rights Commission – ($600,000)
- Open Institute Trust – ($100,000)
- Africa Centre for Open Governance – ($200,000)
- Transparency International – ($300,000)
- The Institute for Social Accountability (TISA) – ($200,000)
- National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (K) – ($257,000)
- Shinning Hope for Communities Inc. – ($2,050,000)
- Coalition for Grassroots Human Rights Defenders Kenya – ($250,000)
- Community Aid International – ($100,000)
- Mzalendo Trust – ($335,000)
- Usikimye (Femicide) – ($30,000)
- Citizens Advancement Initiative – ($150,000)
Mr. Korir, in his letter sent on July 18th, claimed these organizations had been at the center of anti-finance bill protests. He further accused them of mobilizing subsequent anti-government protests that have been “upending the peace and security of the state.”
The Ford Foundation quickly denied the government’s accusations, inviting the state to review their website where all grant information is published. They stated they had not funded any violence and condemned actions or speech that advocate violence against institutions, individuals, or communities. They also emphasized that Kenyans have a constitutional right to peacefully protest and demand an equitable country.
Who is the Ford Foundation?
The Ford Foundation is a private non-governmental organization founded in 1963 by Edsel Ford, the president of the Ford Motor Company. He wanted the foundation to give grants that facilitated scientific research and education.
“Over the past 80 years, we have invested in innovative ideas, visionary individuals, and frontline institutions advancing human dignity around the world,” the foundation states on its website.
The foundation is supervised by a board of 16 independent trustees who choose the President. The current president is Darren Walker, based in New York, USA, the foundation’s headquarters.
So far, the foundation has an endowment of $16 billion (Ksh 2 trillion) and 10 regional offices in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. In 2022, they gave 1,797 grants to 1,470 grantees, with a total donation amount of $715 million (Ksh 94.05 billion).
