Government lists 16 NGOs linked to protests, issues demands to the Ford Foundation
The government of Kenya wants the Ford Foundation to provide full details of their Grantees over the last year as it lists 16 NGOs linked to protests
The government of Kenya wants the Ford Foundation to provide full details of their Grantees over the last year as it lists 16 NGOs linked to protests.
The government of Kenya has listed 16 Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in connection to the protests that wreaked havoc in the country in the last month.
Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing’oei in a letter to Ford Foundation President Darren Walker said some of the organizations funded by the Ford Foundation have been at the center of anti-government protests.
Sing’oei said Kenya is concerned that some of the organizations linked to the protest spent millions of shilling in the last month in an unexplainable manner.
“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,” Sing’oei said in a letter dated July 18, 2024.
“Deeply concerning is that most of the Grantees have been at the centre of the Anti-FinanceBill protests and the subsequent anarchic mobilizations that have sought to upend the peace and security of the state.”
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).
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).
Kenya now wants the Ford Foundation to clear the air on four key issues regarding their grantees.
They include providing full details of their 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.
“Furnish us with Reports from your Grantees detailing the activities carried out, the cost of these activities, and their beneficiaries,” Sing’Oe stated about its second demand.
The PS also wants the Ford Foundation to share a report on the Ford Foundation’s compliance with its Non-Lobbying Policy or a statement that this policy is inapplicable to its activities in the country.
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Kenya at the same time wants the Ford Foundation to prescribe any sanctions it will impose for breaches of the law or their internal policies.
Kenya regretted that the recent protests had led to the loss of lives as well as destruction of the property despite the government conceding to demands that informed the protests at its early stages.
“These protests began as efforts aimed at resisting the government’s revenue-raising proposals contained in the Finance Bill, an annual legislation mandated to implement the national budget,” Sing’oei said.
“Despite various concessions by the Government, the demands of the protestors have morphed and escalated into attempts at toppling the country’s democratically elected and constitutionally sanctioned government under the guise of the right to demonstrate and assemble.”
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