Gov’t says still awaits response on Ford Foundation’s grantmaking in Kenya

Kenya still expects a “formal” response from the Ford Foundation on its grants to the country, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei said on Sunday, following accusations the American charity has been financing the ongoing anti-government demonstrations.

The Kenyan government last Thursday wrote to Ford Foundation President Darren Walker, implying a correlation between the organisation’s grants and the local anti-government demonstrations.

But while Ford Foundation has distanced itself from the allegations first made by President William Ruto last Monday, PS Sing’Oei said the government wants the foundation to provide more details of the Kenyan projects it supports, its beneficiaries and whether it monitors to make sure its grantee's activities are not in violation of non-profit lobbying policies.

“We expect the Ford Foundation to respond formally through the normal channels of communication. Under U.S. law, the Ford Foundation and its money are not supposed to be deployed to carry out lobbying activities within the U.S. or in Kenya,” the PS told Citizen TV's Sunday Live program.

In response to the Kenyan government’s letter, the Ford Foundation, which Sing’Oei on Sunday said Kenya has “an excellent relationship with”, shared a statement on its website affirming its adherence to strict grantmaking protocols and its dedication to supporting initiatives that promote social justice and equitable development.

"As a charitable foundation with a global presence, our grantmaking is transparent and readily available on our website, www.fordfoundation.org. This includes a database showing where our funds go, as well as highlights from our rich history in East Africa and around the world," the organisation said.

The Foreign Affairs PS, however, termed the response as a “small statement to the media” and insisted that the government wants detailed information to ensure Ford Foundation’s grants “are not misused.”

Civil society organisations have since jointly denied funding the anti-government protests.

In a statement on Sunday, the CSOs maintained that their work involves upholding the law, protecting human rights and promoting good governance and that Kenyan youth were pushed to the streets by the continued neglect of their needs by Ruto’s government.