Kenya's Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary, Korir SingOei, has requested that the US-based Ford Foundation disclose all its grantees in Kenya over the past year, along with the approved programs and budgets for the last three months. The request comes amid allegations that its grantees are influencing recent protests in the country, local media reported.
The government alleged the foundation provided Sh752 million ($5 million) to 16 Kenyan organizations from April 2023 to May 2024, with an additional "unexplained" Sh194 million ($1.49 million) raised in the past three months, according to the report.
Several NGOs have been identified as recipients, including the Kenya Human Rights Commission, the Institute of Social Accountability, and the Africa Centre for Open Governance.
"You will concede that the above funds disbursed to non-state recipients are substantial and must be prudently used to serve legitimate purposes or risk abuse to aid nefarious ends," SingOei quoted by media as saying, addressing the Ford Foundation’s President, Darren Walker.
The Kenyan government has made several demands of the Ford Foundation, including providing full details of their grantees, the approved programs, budgets for each project, and reports from their grantees detailing activities and costs.
"While we recognize the importance of maintaining an open civic space and respect for the principles of open government that we both share, the actions of some of your grantees contravene the laws of Kenya, including the prohibition against incitement, hate speech, insurrection, and mobilization using disinformation," media quoted SingOei.
The Ford Foundation is a US-based philanthropic organization that provides grants to support social justice, economic development, and human rights initiatives globally. Ranked as the 11th wealthiest foundation globally with an endowment of $13.7 billion, it operates in 11 regions in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and North America.