Ford Foundation responds to claims of fueling anarchy in Kenya by funding Non-governmental organisations
The US-based Ford Foundation on Friday refuted allegations of sponsoring 16 non-governmental organisations to fuel anarchy in Kenya.
While confirming the receipt of a letter from Kenya's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ford Foundation clarified that its presence in Kenya was specifically for charitable purposes.
According to the Foundation, all the information about its operations in Kenya was transparently available on its website.
Darren Walker stated the data on their website showed how the Foundation spent its funds while operating in Kenya.
“While we continue to 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,” the Ford Foundation stated.
The Foundation went ahead to affirm its commitment to building on its 60-year legacy in Kenya and the East African region as a whole.
Darren Walker's response comes hardly hours after Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'Oei wrote a letter to the Ford Foundation, demanding an accountability report over allegations of sponsoring 16 non-governmental organizations.
In a letter obtained by Kenyans.co.ke, the government accused the foundation of providing at least Sh752 million in funding to Kenyan organizations between April 2023 and May 2024.
PS Korir Sing'oei requested that Darren Walker's organisation disclose all its grantees in Kenya over the past year, along with the approved programs and budgets for the last three months.
"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," read part of the letter.
"Their conduct also fundamentally flouts Ford Foundation’s Non-Lobbying Policy begging the question of whether your Foundation has abandoned this policy and is now intent on adversely influencing the internal political and policy processes within the Republic of Kenya," the letter added.
