The Ford Foundation has received a formal letter from the Kenyan government expressing grave concerns regarding the American organization’s recent financial efforts in the nation.
The Kenyan government, through Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing’Oei, suggests in a letter to Mr. Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, that some of the foundation’s grantees may be inciting the ongoing protests in Kenya.
The letter, dated July 18, 2024, emphasizes that a number of non-state recipients, such as Africa Uncensored Limited, the Kenya Human Rights Commission, and Transparency International, received USD 5.78 million (roughly Ksh. 752 million) in total from the Ford Foundation between April 2023 and May 2024.
The PS included the following 16 organizations on its list of recipients of Ford Foundation funding:
- Africa Uncensored Limited (Project Mulika): US$ 250,000
- Women’s Link Worldwide: US$ 750,000
- Centre for Resource Mobilization and Development: US$ 20,000
- Transform Empowerment for Action Initiative: US$ 220,000
- Kenya Human Rights Commission: US$ 600,000
- Open Institute Trust: US$ 100,000
- Africa Centre for Open Governance: US$ 200,000
- Transparency International: US$ 300,000
- The Institute for Social Accountability (TISA): US$ 200,000
- National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (K): US$ 257,000
- Shinning Hope for Communities Inc.: US$ 2,050,000
- Coalition for Grassroots Human Rights Defenders Kenya: US$ 250,000
- Community Aid International: US$ 100,000
- Mzalendo Trust: US$ 335,000
- Usikimye (Femicide): US$ 30,000
- Citizens Advancement Initiative: US$ 150,000
The government found more alarming “unexplained expedited” funding of USD 1.49 million (about Ksh. 194 million) in just the last month.
Additionally, it claimed that a few grantees had engaged in actions that were illegal in Kenya, such as hate speech, provocation, and disinformation-based mobilization, which may have violated the Ford Foundation’s non-lobbying policy.
For this reason, the Ford Foundation is being forced to furnish the Kenyan government with complete information about grantees, approved activities, budgets, and disbursements for the previous year.
Kenya also requests reports from the American organization’s grantees, including their expenditures, recipients, and activities; additionally, it requests a report on the Ford Foundation’s adherence to its non-lobbying policy or an explanation of its relevance to Kenya.
In addition, the Foundation has been asked by the Kenyan government to recommend penalties for any legal or internal policy violations.
