President William Ruto has met a team from the Ford Foundation as part of the engagements in his trip to New York on the sidelines of United Nations (UN) General Assembly.
In a change of tune from his recent stance on the foundation’s activities in Kenya, Ruto appreciated Ford’s role in protecting the country’s democracy and economic advancement, months after he accused it of supporting Gen Z protests in June 2024.
“Kenya appreciates the Ford Foundation’s commitment to safeguarding our democracy and supporting Kenya’s calls for reforms in the global economic institutions, climate action and modern technology regulation,” he said.
During the meeting, President Ruto held discussions with the President of the Ford Foundation Darren Walker and his team.
In a statement shared on Tuesday, Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Dr Korir Sing’oei said the discussions between President Ruto and Walker of Ford Foundation touched on matters democracy, climate change, and an enhanced voice on the international stage.
“The meeting underscored Kenya’s commitment to democratic governance, rule of law and respect for human rights. The meeting agreed on the imperative to safeguard democracy particularly in Africa from the challenges of disinformation and manipulation of the digital space for non-democratic ends,” Sing’oei stated.
On his part, Walker recognized President Ruto’s leadership in championing improved financial terms for African countries and his ideas on other matters, including climate change.
“Ford Foundation’s president applauded President Ruto’s for being a strong voice at the international stage on matters touching on reforming global economic governance institutions, climate change, and technology regulation,” Sing’oei added.
The meeting saw the foundation commit to supporting the Kenyan government to meet the agreed matters.
Following the bold Gen-Z protests in June and July 2024 which saw the government abandon the Finance Bill 2024, Ruto’s administration went on a manhunt for forces claimed to have funded or fueled the demonstrations.
Ruto’s Claims and Ford Foundation’s Defense
Ruto claimed that the Ford Foundation was behind the protests on June 16, 2024, but the organization denied his allegations.
In a statement, the foundation acknowledged the right of Kenyans to peacefully advocate for a just and equitable country, denying the allegations by Ruto. It reiterated that its policies have always been neutral.
“We do not fund or sponsor the recent protests against the finance bill and have a strictly non-partisan policy for all of our grantmaking,” the statement read in part.
Also Read: Meg Whitman Throws Ruto Under the Bus Over Ford Foundation Claims
The US-based organization emphasized its dedication to ensuring the independence of East Africa’s democratic institutions since 1963.
“We retain an ongoing commitment to supporting work in support of Kenya’s development and Kenya’s leadership on an African and global stage, exemplified by our support for the inaugural African Climate Summit held in 2023 in Nairobi and Kenya’s current leadership as co-chair of the Open Government Partnership,” Ford Foundation stated.
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