Kenya’s President Ruto Shifts Stance on Ford Foundation, Acknowledges Role in Reforms
In a dramatic change of tone, President William Ruto has now praised the Ford Foundation for its contribution to Kenya’s democratic processes and commitment to supporting global reform imperatives.
The statement was made through his verified social media handles following a meeting with Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, during Ruto’s visit to New York.
This is a dramatic turnaround from Ruto’s previous utterances, in which he had vehemently criticized the Ford Foundation for allegedly funding unrest within the country.
In the early part of this year, Ruto accused some foreign organizations, including the Ford Foundation, of backing protests staged in Kenya and termed them “anonymous, faceless, formless, and foreign-sponsored.”
He further questioned the foundation’s intentions when he asked, “Is that money they are giving out to fund violence, how is it going to benefit them?”
In his Tuesday post, however, Ruto praised the Ford Foundation’s commitment to Kenya’s democracy and reforms, with a particular focus on economic justice, climate action, and modern technology regulation.
He expressed Kenya’s gratitude for the foundation’s role in pushing for reforms in global economic institutions, an issue that has been at the heart of Ruto’s regime since his ascension to power.
“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,” Ruto wrote.
Explanations from the meeting with Darren Walker were framed in the context of broader discussions on global cooperation in efforts to address challenges that transcend national borders, such as climate change and economic inequality.
Ruto added that Kenya and the Ford Foundation shared a common vision on the need for global reforms for equity, especially in international institutions that usually sideline developing nations.
This is in contrast to the previous diplomatic stance taken by Ruto, who was very critical of foreign influence in the Kenyan political arena.
Earlier in the year, his hostile tone had pitted his administration against several international organizations, including the Ford Foundation.
Observers say this could be Ruto’s way of readjusting Kenya’s international alignments, considering the recent and fast-growing importance of Kenya in international climate change and technology regulation conversations.
Indeed, Kenya has distinguished itself as a leader in sustainable development and a voice representative of African nations seeking a louder voice on global platforms.
By acknowledging the effort of the Ford Foundation, Ruto may be signaling a readiness to cooperate with foreign partners in ways consistent with his administration’s larger goals for Kenya and the African continent.
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