Editor's Review

The Ford Foundation issued grants to 16 Kenyan organizations totaling Sh 752 million between April 2023 and May 2024.

The government has published a list of 16 organisations that received money from the embattled Ford Organization.

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei in a letter to Ford Foundation President Darren Walker noted 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.

“Deeply concerning is that most of the Grantees have been at the center of the Anti-Finance Bill protests and the subsequent anarchic mobilizations that have sought to upend the peace and security of the state,” the letter read in part.

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The organisations that allegedly received grants from the Ford Foundation include; Africa Uncensored Limited (Project Mulika) Sh32.7 million ($250,000), Women’s Link Worldwide Sh 98.2 million ($750,000), Centre for Resource Mobilization and Development Sh 2.6 million ($ 20,000), Transform Empowerment for Action Initiative Sh 28.8 million ($ 220,000) and the Kenya Human Rights Commission Sh 78.6 million ($ 600,000).

File image of Musalia Mudaavdi with PS Korir Sing'oei. 

Others are Open Institute Trust Sh 13.1 million ($100,000), Africa Centre for Open Governance Sh 26.2 million ($200,000), Transparency International Sh 39.3 million($300,000), The Institute for Social Accountability (TISA) Sh 26.2 million($ 200,000) National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (K) Sh 33.6 million ($257,000) and Shinning Hope for Communities Inc Sh 268 million($2,050,000).

The Ford Foundation also issued grants to the Coalition for Grassroots Human Rights Defenders Kenya Sh 32.7 million ($250,000), Community Aid International Sh 13.1 million($100,000), Mzalendo Trust Sh 43.8 million($ 335,000) Usikimye (Femicide) Sh 3.9 million ($30,000) and the Citizens Advancement Initiative; Sh 19.6 million ($150,000).

PS Sing’Oei asked the Ford Foundation to provide full details of the grants over the year and the programs approved.

“Provide full details of your Grantees over the last year, the programmes approved (particularly over the last three months), budgets for each project, the amounts so far disbursed and what is pipelined for disbursement,” said the Foreign Affairs PS.

He also requested the US organization to provide 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.