The Ford Foundation has confirmed receiving a letter from the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs over funding of 16 non-governmental organizations in Kenya.
In a statement on Friday, July 19, the Ford Foundation said it is a charitable foundation with a global presence and asked the government to check the foundation’s website for information about its grants to organizations in Kenya.
The US organization noted that its database indicates where its funds go and highlights its history in East Africa.
“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,” read the statement in part.
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The Ford Foundation at the same time pointed out that it does not support any actions or speech that are hateful or advocate violence against any institution, individual, or community.
“We remain ever committed to building on the legacy of the Ford Foundation’s more than 60 years in the region so that Kenyans can unlock opportunities that extend to all,” the Ford Foundation added.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei in a letter to Ford Foundation dated July 18 said that the US organization issued grants totaling Sh 752 million between April 2023 and May 2024.
Sing’Oei noted that the government was concerned about the grants being used during the recent anti-finance bill and anti-government protests.
“It is noteworthy that several of your Grantees below mentioned received a total of US$ 5.78 Million (approximately Kenya Shillings 752 Million) between April 2023 and May 2024 - with unexplained expedited funding amounting to US$ 1.49 M (approximately Kenya shillings 194 million) - over the last month alone,” the Foreign Affairs PS stated.
Sing’Oei asked the Ford Foundation to provide full details of the grants over the year and the programs approved particularly over the last three months, budgets for each project, the amounts so far disbursed, and what is pipelined for disbursement.
He also asked for reports from the grantees detailing the activities carried out, the cost of these activities, and their beneficiaries and to share a report on Ford Foundation’s compliance with its non-lobbying policy or a statement that this policy is inapplicable to its activities in the country.
Further, Sing’Oei asked the Ford Foundation to prescribe any sanctions they will impose for breaches of the law or their internal policies.
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