The United States (US) Ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman has called out President William Ruto for accusing the Ford Foundation of funding protest in Kenya.
Speaking during an interview on Tuesday, August 28, the US ambassador said the accusation was “absolutely wrong”, adding that the matter had already been escalated.
Further, Ambassador Whitman maintained that she has consistently called out the government over the matter and reiterated the work Ford Foundation has done over the years in Kenya.
“I thought that was wrong. I absolutely thought that was wrong. The Ford Foundation has worked in this country for almost 60 years.
“They support many civil society organizations, which are very important to democracy alongside youth, religious leaders and other organizations,” she stated.
Meg Whitman Reveals Next Steps
In the interview, Meg Whitman said that Ford Foundation’s leadership had been invited to Kenya for further discussions on the issue as investigations into the matter continued.
“I have been quite vocal on this with the government, and we have had the Ford Foundation general council and others here and we are working through this. In the end, people will agree that the Ford Foundation had nothing to do with this,” she said.
“It was very inappropriate for the government to go after the Ford Foundation.”
Also Read: Govt Issues Update on Ford Foundation After Meeting Officials
Ford Foundation Fires Back After Ruto’s Remarks
In a statement on Friday, July 19, the American NGO noted that its grantmaking remained transparent, adding that information about the specific initiatives funded from its kitties was available on its official website.
The American organization was responding to demands made through a letter sent to its President Darren Walker by the Principal Secretary (PS) for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Korir Sing’oei.
Sing’oei, in the letter, listed 16 Kenyan NGOs alleged to be beneficiaries of grants amounting to Ksh752 million from the Foundation.
Earlier, Ruto accused Ford Foundation of fueling protests in Kenya by hiring goons to cause violence during the protests which led to the destruction of property and looting of businesses.
“Those sponsoring them to cause violence, and mayhem must be ashamed of themselves. We ask the Ford Foundation to explain to Kenyans its role in the recent protests. We will call out all those who are bent on rolling back our hard-won democracy,” the President said.
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