The Ford Foundation has officially opened new offices in Nairobi, months after a publicized standoff with the Kenyan government over the June 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'Oei confirmed the development on Monday, April 7 in a statement shared on social media, describing the foundation as "a reliable development partner to governments in the East Africa region."
“On behalf of the Prime Cabinet Secretary, I inaugurated Ford Foundation's new offices for East Africa today. I commended the Foundation for being a reliable development partner to regional governments, civil society, and media,” Sing’Oei shared.
Founded in 1936, the Ford Foundation is a New York-based non-profit organization known globally for its work in advancing social justice.
According to a statement on the company's profile, the Ford Foundation has sought to reduce poverty and injustice, strengthen democratic values, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement' since its inception more than eight decades ago.
It is one of the world’s largest philanthropic institutions, with funding initiatives that support human rights, education, sustainable development, and democratic values.
Despite its noble cause, the Ford Foundation has not been without controversy, with the latest one being a public feud with the Kenyan government.
In June 2024, President William Ruto publicly accused the Ford Foundation of sponsoring the youth-led Gen Z protests against the proposed 2024 Finance Bill.
At the time, President Ruto warned that the foundation risked expulsion if it continued with what he termed as "interference in domestic affairs."
"Those who are sponsoring the violence, we know them, and I want to call out those who are behind the anarchy in Kenya. Shame on them! I want to ask the people from Ford Foundation to explain to us what they seek to gain by destabilising Kenya's democracy," Ruto claimed in July 2024.
In a rejoinder, the Ford Foundation firmly denied the claims, reiterating its respect for the constitutional right of Kenyans to engage in peaceful demonstrations. It maintained that it did not fund or influence the protests, and emphasized its long-standing mission of supporting civic engagement and inclusive development.
"While we acknowledge the right of Kenyans to peacefully advocate for a just and equitable country, we repudiate any actions or speech that are hateful or advocate violence against any institution, individual or community," a statement from Ford read, adding, "We do not fund or sponsor the recent protests against the finance bill and have a strictly non-partisan policy in all our grantmaking."
Despite a previously rocky relationship with the Kenyan government, the foundation’s new presence in Nairobi is seen as a reaffirmation of its commitment to East Africa.
In the wake of the President's accusations in 2024, the foundation hinted it would continue close relations with Kenya by reaffirming its support for the country in its development and leadership on the African and global stage.
