President Ruto Names American Foundation Behind Violence Sponsorship in Anti-Government Protests
President William Ruto has accused the Ford Foundation, an American private foundation, of financing violence during recent anti-government protests. In Nakuru on Monday, Ruto alleged that the Foundation hired individuals to incite chaos, resulting in property damage and business looting.
In his speech, Ruto questioned the Foundation’s motives for funding the disturbances. He expressed his government’s intention to hold accountable those who fund young Kenyans to cause disorder during otherwise peaceful protests. Ruto emphasized that his administration would not tolerate any form of anarchy or property destruction.
Shortly after his public address, President Ruto reiterated his claims on his X account. He called on the Ford Foundation to clarify its involvement in the protests and denounced those sponsoring violence as retrogressive. Ruto also asserted his commitment to preserving Kenya’s hard-won democracy by exposing those attempting to undermine it.
Past Criticisms
President Ruto has consistently criticized the violence seen during the three-week-long protests, attributing it to sponsors who hire individuals to disrupt peaceful demonstrations. He believes these hired individuals, whom he described as criminals, carried out the destruction of critical state infrastructure, including Parliament.
The Ford Foundation, founded in 1963 by Edsel Ford, the president of the Ford Motor Company, aims to administer charitable funds for scientific and educational purposes. Over the years, it has grown into a significant humanitarian institution, operating in 11 regions across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and North America.
ALSO READ: Human activities pose a threat to the Serengeti ecosystem in Africa.
In East Africa, the Foundation has partnered with Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania to advocate for civic justice and protect social justice activists, disbursing over Ksh. 138 billion ($10.7 million) since 2009.
Ruto also addressed the recent killings in Kware, promising that those responsible would be brought to justice. He called for peace and assured the public that the government would thoroughly investigate the matter.
Detectives have identified 33-year-old Collins Jomaisi Khalisia as the suspect behind the dismembered bodies found at the Kware dumpsite in Embakasi South Constituency.
President Ruto Names American Foundation Behind Violence Sponsorship in Anti-Government Protests
