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Fake! Sing'oei says Ford Foundation letter apologising to Kenya misleading

"I've not received this letter purportedly addressed to me, it's fake news."

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by JAMES MBAKA

News27 September 2024 - 21:08
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In Summary


  • On September 24, Sing'oei shared details of the meeting between President William Ruto and Ford Foundation President Darren Walker.
  • Ruto and Walker met and held consultations in New York on the sidelines of the ongoing 79th United Nations General Assembly.
Foreign affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'oei.

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'oei has flagged fake information about the Ford Foundation issuing an apology to Kenya.

The information has since circulated across various social media applications.

In a statement on Friday, the PS asked Kenyans to treat the information as fake news.

The fake letter dated September 26, 2024, was addressed to the Foreign Affairs PS, he, however, distanced himself from receiving the letter.

"I have not received this letter purportedly addressed to me. On the face of it, it bears the imprints of fake news," he said on X.

The fake letter had the subject 'Apology and assurance following misuse of grant funds in Kenya.'

The letter alleged to take responsibility for funding the recent Gen Z protests in the country; it, however, quoted that the protests took place in June 2025.

In the fake letter, the Foundation purportedly issued an apology to Kenya and promised to provide a full report on the issue.

It further claimed that the Foundation will implement strict oversight reforms.

On September 24, Sing'oei shared details of the meeting between President William Ruto and Ford Foundation President Darren Walker.

Ruto and Walker met and held consultations in New York on the sidelines of the ongoing 79th United Nations General Assembly.

The Ford Foundation came under sharp scrutiny during the Gen Z protests in the country in June, with Ruto publicly censuring it for allegedly sponsoring the protests.

“Those behind sponsoring the chaos in the Republic of Kenya, I want to tell them shame on them! Because they are sponsoring violence against our democratic nation. I want to ask the Ford Foundation to tell us they are sponsoring violence for what benefit?” Ruto said during an event in Nakuru.

He even threatened to ban the organisation in the country.

“We are going to tell them to either style up or leave,” he said.

According to Sing'oei, the discussions centred around democratic governance and human rights.

He said the meeting highlighted Kenya’s dedication to upholding democratic values and the rule of law, especially in a global context marked by increasing democratic backsliding.

Both leaders acknowledged the critical need to protect democracy in Africa against the threats of disinformation and the misuse of digital platforms for anti-democratic purposes.

“Both leaders acknowledged the critical need to protect democracy in Africa against the threats of disinformation and the misuse of digital platforms for anti-democratic purposes,” he said.

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