🔴 Ksh752 Million Unsettling Ruto, Changes in Cabinet, Nation Media & KBC

By Washington Mito

Hello and welcome to the Friday edition of the Evening Brief Newsletter where Ruto has escalated his demands with the Ford Foundation while naming a new Cabinet.

1 Fun Thing: Follow the Kenyans.co.ke channel on WhatsApp here for more quizzes and quick news updates.

Ruto-Ford Foundation Tug of War

Barely days after accusing the Ford Foundation of meddling in the internal affairs of Kenya, President William Ruto's government has demanded accountability for grants issued by the American foundation to Kenyan organisations.

According to a letter addressed to Ford Foundation President Darren Walker, the government opined that the anti-Finance Bill protests had morphed into groupings aimed at toppling the Kenya Kwanza administration.

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'Oei, who authored the letter, added that the recent protests were being mobilised by organisations that had benefitted from grants issued by the foundation.

In particular, the government questioned a Ksh194 billion grant extended to various organisations in the last four weeks. 

Notably, the Kenya Kwanza administration claimed that Ksh752 million had also been disbursed to the organisations between April 2023 and May 2024.

Beneficiaries;

• Africa Uncensored Limited (Project Mulika) - Ksh32,305,000 (US$ 250,000)  
• Women's Link Worldwide - Ksh96,915,000 (US$ 750,000)
• Centre for Resource Mobilization and Development - Ksh2,584,400 (US$ 20,000)
• Transform Empowerment for Action Initiative - Ksh28,428,400 (US$ 220,000)
• Kenya Human Rights Commission - Ksh77,532,000 (US$ 600,000)
• Open Institute Trust - Ksh12,922,000 (US $100,000)
• Africa Centre for Open Governance - Ksh25,844,000 (US$ 200,000)
• Transparency International - Ksh38,766,000 (US$ 300,000)
• The Institute for Social Accountability (TISA) - Ksh25,844,000 (US$ 200,000)
• National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (K)- Ksh33,209,540 (US$ 257,000)
• Shinning Hope for Communities Inc. - Ksh264,901,000 (US$2,050,000)
• Coalition for Grassroots Human Rights Defenders Kenya - Ksh32,305,000 (US$ 250,000)
• Community Aid International - Ksh12,922,000 (US$ 100,000)
• Mzalendo Trust - Ksh43,288,700 (US$ 335,000)
• Femicide - Ksh3,876,600 (US$ 30,000)
• Citizens Advancement Initiative - Ksh19,383,000 (US$ 150,000)

Demands

Consequently, unsettled by the activities of the beneficiaries, the government sought to establish a detailed breakdown of the donations and programmes that have been undertaken by the Kenyan organisations.

The government also sought to establish the actions that would be undertaken by the Ford Foundation should it be established that its funding was used for activities aimed at toppling the administration.

"Share a report on Ford Foundation's compliance with its Non-Lobbying Policy or a statement that this policy is inapplicable to its activities in the country.

"Prescribe any sanctions you will impose for breaches of the law or your internal policies," the government demanded.

Ruto's Team Sheet

On the other hand, Ruto named 11 new Cabinet members following the dissolution of the Cabinet last week. 

Some members of the previous Cabinet made it to the new list including Kithure Kindiki who was nominated to the Interior Ministry.

The nominees are;

• Ministry of the Interior and National Administration - Prof Kithure Kindiki
• Ministry of Health - Dr Debra Mlongo Barasa
• Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development - Alice Wahome
• Ministry of Education - Julius Migos Ogamba
• Ministry of Defence - Aden Barre Duale
• Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development - Dr Andrew Mwihia Karanja
• Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry - Roselinda Soipan Tuiya
• Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation - Eric Muriithi Muuga
• Ministry of Roads and Transport - Davis Chirchir
• Ministry of Information, Communication and the Digital Economy - Margaret Nyambura Ndung'u
• Attorney-General - Rebecca Miano 

Nation's Change of Guard

After serving Nation Media Group (NMG) for over 10 years, Stephen Gitagama is set to retire from his position as the Group's CEO.

In a statement issued by the media house based at Kimathi Street, Gitagama will be leaving his position effective August 1.

"Gitagama has industriously steered management and staff through a critical period during which the traditional media industry has undergone significant disruption upon the explosion of transformative digital technologies, necessitating radical changes across the business and implementation of digital strategies, leveraging on the Group's brand heritage, to anchor NMG firmly in the new media space. 

"He also led the team in the development of NMG's digital transformation strategy, encapsulated in the Group's Digital North Star, targeting digital revenues of USD 55 million by 2027," read the statement in part

Following the scheduled retirement of Gitagama, Richard Tobiko was named as the acting CEO, a position he will assume from August 1.

Tobiko currently, serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the media house.

Curtains Close for Shiksha Arora

On the other hand, KBC is set to lose its news anchor Shiksha Arora. Arora has been at the national broadcaster for three years.

In a statement, she detailed that she would be hosting her last show on Friday, July 19, at 9 pm.

“My heart is overflowing with emotions as I type this. It's hard to say goodbye to a workplace that I called home for 3 years & colleagues who have become like family,” she stated.

Weekly Kenyans.co.ke Quiz

Do you think you are a news guru? Every week, the newsletter team brings you a 10-question quiz testing your knowledge of the top news topics for the week.

Take our quiz and test how well you understood the week's most important stories.

Here are the top five stories for the day;

• Cracks emerge in Azimio la Umoja over sharing of Cabinet slots.
• Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya pokes holes in DCI theories on Mukuru Quarry investigations.
• KTN News apologises to Former Water CS Sicily Kariuki.
• Crisis looms as schools struggle without capitation funds.
• Read why most Kenyans could be walking to work from next week.

This newsletter was written by Washington Mito and edited by Brian Muuo.

Derrick Kubasu contributed to the content.

Graphics prepared by Adongo Kyalo.