President William Ruto
Two months since he accused the US-based organization of protest sponsorship in Kenya, President William Ruto has warmed up to the Ford Foundation.
This comes after a meeting between Ruto and the Ford Foundation President Darren Walker during his visit to the United States for the United Nations General Assembly Summit.
In July, Ruto accused the Ford Foundation of financing violent demonstrations in Nairobi and other major towns.
The demonstrations began on June 18 against the high cost of living and controversial government policies.
The clashes between protesters and police caused several casualties and arrests.
Ruto had then claimed that the protests were engineered from abroad, including from the Ford Foundation.
He referred to the demonstrators as "foreign-sponsored" and said he would take action against people he claimed were behind the unrest.
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| President William Ruto and Ford Foundation President Darren Walker |
On July 22, during a public rally, Ruto accused the foundation of perpetuating unrest in Kenya.
He questioned their motive and asked whether it was proper to say, "Is that money they are giving out to fund violence, how is it going to benefit them?"
But two days later, on July 29, Ruto ordered the release of detained protesters, a move that raised speculation over the sudden shift in approach.
In his latest statement, following the meeting with Walker, Ruto praised the Ford Foundation's work in democracy, global economic reforms, and climate action.
"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," said Ruto.
The Ford Foundation never spoke publicly about the accusations that Ruto had earlier leveled against it, and no proof was provided to show that it was involved with the protests.
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