Ford Foundation rejects accusations it backs Kenya protests

A protester (C) wears a placard with a slogan against Kenyan President William Ruto as he is joined by other protesters during renewed demonstrations in Nairobi on July 16, 2024. [Photo, AFP]

The US-based Ford Foundation on Tuesday rejected accusations by Kenyan President William Ruto that it was sponsoring "anarchy" and funding deadly anti-government protests.

The East African powerhouse has been plunged into political chaos over the demonstrations, which started out as peaceful rallies led by Gen-Z Kenyans against proposed tax hikes but have spiralled into a wider campaign against Ruto and his administration.

Dozens of people have been killed since the protests began a month ago, with the deadliest day on June 25 when angry crowds stormed parliament and police fired live bullets on protesters.

Ruto criticised the Ford Foundation on Monday, telling a large crowd "that money they are giving out to sponsor violence, how are they going to benefit".

"If they are going to sponsor violence in Kenya, if they are going to sponsor anarchy, we are going to call them out and we are going to tell them that they either style up or they leave."

The Ford Foundation pushed back in a statement on Tuesday, saying: "We do not fund or sponsor the recent protests against the finance bill."

It said the organisation -- which has distributed grants to civil and rights groups in the country for decades -- maintained a "strictly non-partisan policy for all of our grantmaking".

While it said the Ford Foundation supported Kenyans' rights to peaceful advocacy, "we repudiate any actions or speech that are hateful or advocate violence against any institution, individual, or community".

The organisation, established in 1936 by Edsel Ford, the son of Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford, operates across the world and aims to advance social justice and promote democratic values.

Ruto, who is scrambling to put the lid on the worst crisis of his near two-year presidency, has previously accused unnamed foreign elements of stoking unrest during the demonstrations.

Street protests have eased off recently, but activists have called for fresh action on Tuesday.