Kenya accuses Ford Foundation grantees of fueling protests, demands accountability

Kenya has formally expressed concerns to the Ford Foundation, accusing some of its grantees of fueling protests to destabilise the country.

In a protest note, the Foreign Affairs PS Sing'oei Korir highlighted the significant funding received by various civil society organizations and alleged that these funds were being used to incite unrest rather than support development.

The letter begins by acknowledging the Ford Foundation's historical contributions to Kenya's development, expressing appreciation for the Foundation's continued commitment to working with both civil society and state organs.

However, the tone shifts as the government outlines the recent turmoil in the country, which has resulted in the loss of lives and destruction of property.

Initially sparked by resistance to the government's revenue-raising proposals in the Finance Bill, these protests, according to the Foreign Office have escalated into attempts to topple the democratically elected government.

The government notes that several Ford Foundation grantees received substantial funding between April 2023 and May 2024, totalling $5.78 million (approximately Sh752 million).

Alarmingly, $1.49 million (approximately Sh194 million) was disbursed in the last month alone.

The letter lists the grantees involved, emphasising that many have been central to the anti-Finance Bill protests and subsequent anarchic mobilisations.

The organizations named include: - Africa Uncensored Limited (Project Mulika): $250,000 - Women's Link Worldwide: $750,000 - Centre for Resource Mobilization and Development: $20,000 - Transform Empowerment for Action Initiative: $220,000 - Kenya Human Rights Commission: $600,000 - Open Institute Trust: $100,000 - Africa Centre for Open Governance: $200,000 - Transparency International: $300,000 - The Institute for Social Accountability (TISA): $200,000 - National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (K): $257,000 - Shining Hope for Communities Inc.: $2,050,000 - Coalition for Grassroots Human Rights Defenders Kenya: $250,000 - Community Aid International: $100,000 - Mzalendo Trust: $335,000 - Usikimye (Femicide): $30,000 - Citizens Advancement Initiative: $150,000

The government claims these funds must be prudently used for legitimate purposes and warns against their misuse for nefarious ends.

The letter emphasizes the importance of maintaining an open civic space and adherence to the principles of open government but criticizes the conduct of some grantees for allegedly contravening Kenyan laws, including incitement, hate speech, insurrection, and disinformation.

Furthermore, it questions whether the Ford Foundation has abandoned its Non-Lobbying Policy in favour of influencing internal political and policy processes within Kenya.

To address these concerns, the Kenyan government has requested the Ford Foundation to: 1. Provide full details of their grantees over the past year, including programme approvals, budgets, disbursed amounts, and pending disbursements. 2. Furnish reports from grantees detailing activities, costs, and beneficiaries. 3. Share a report on the Ford Foundation's compliance with its Non-Lobbying Policy or a statement on its applicability in Kenya. 4. Prescribe any sanctions for breaches of the law or internal policies.

Ford Foundation, which funds NGOs, Civil Society Organisations and alternative media organisations, dismissed the allegations in an earlier statement. "We did not fund or sponsor the recent protests against the finance bill and have a strictly non-partisan policy for all of our grantmaking."

Ford Foundation is an independent philanthropic agency - it is not accountable to the Kenyan state. Its board can give grants to whomever they feel is deserving.