Tag: Gates Foundation

Bill Gates Admits To Past ‘Affairs,’ Apologises Over Epstein Ties

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has openly acknowledged having had two extramarital affairs with Russian women and apologised to staff at the Gates Foundation for his past association with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, describing that connection as a “huge mistake.

Gates addressed his foundation’s employees at a town hall meeting on February 24, shortly after the U.S. Department of Justice released a large trove of files linked to investigations into Epstein’s crimes.

In remarks reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, he said he deeply regretted his relationship with Epstein and the impact it had on the foundation’s work.

“I apologise to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made,” Gates said, while insisting that he “did nothing illicit” and had not witnessed any illegal conduct related to Epstein’s criminal activities.

In his comments, Gates confirmed that he had two affairs with women — one described as a Russian bridge player and another as a Russian nuclear physicist — but stressed that these relationships were unrelated to any victims of Epstein and had been separate from his philanthropic work.

Gates also addressed photos and documents included in the recently released files, saying some images showing him with unidentified women were taken at the request of Epstein’s associates after meetings, not during any wrongdoing. He emphasised that he had never spent time with Epstein’s victims.

The billionaire acknowledged he first met Epstein in 2011, years after the financier’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution, and admitted he continued the association into 2014 despite concerns raised by others. Gates said at the time he did not conduct a thorough background check and now views the relationship with regret.

His remarks reflect Gates’s effort to confront renewed scrutiny after the release of millions of pages of Justice Department files related to the Epstein case, which had earlier prompted controversy and raised questions about the links between powerful figures and the disgraced financier.

In discussing his personal conduct, Gates acknowledged that learning more about Epstein’s crimes made his own interactions seem “a hundred times worse” and stressed that the foundation’s reputation is highly sensitive to how its leaders engage with others.

Gates’s comments come as the Gates Foundation continues its global health and philanthropic initiatives, but the disclosed ties have underscored the challenges high-profile organisations face when past associations resurface in public scrutiny.

February 25, 2026
Bill Gates Pulls Out of India AI Summit Amid Renewed Scrutiny Over Epstein Ties

Bill Gates withdrew from an artificial intelligence summit in India on Thursday, hours before he was scheduled to deliver a keynote address, as renewed scrutiny over his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein resurfaced.

“After careful consideration, and to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s key priorities, Mr. Gates will not be delivering his keynote address,” the Gates Foundation said in a statement.

The foundation said it will instead be represented by Ankur Vora, president of its Africa and India offices, who is scheduled to speak later in the day.

It added that the foundation “remains fully committed” to its health and development work in India.

The decision follows the release of thousands of documents under the US Epstein Files Transparency Act.

Earlier this month, the Microsoft co-founder described it as “foolish” to have spent time with Epstein, who was found dead in his New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 and was convicted of procuring a minor for prostitution. Critics have described the sentence he received at the time as a “sweetheart deal.”

In an interview with 9News Australia, Gates, 70, denied wrongdoing and said he never visited Epstein’s private island, where child abuse and human trafficking were alleged to have taken place.

“It’s factually true that I was only at dinners. I never went to the island, I never met any women,” Gates said.

“It just reminds me that every minute I spent with him, I regret, and I apologize I did that,” he added.

The weeklong summit in New Delhi, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has drawn representatives from more than 100 countries and is being promoted as the first major global AI gathering in the Global South.

Technology leaders including Sundar Pichai, Sam Altman and Dario Amodei attended, along with French President Emmanuel Macron, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

February 19, 2026
Bill Gates Pledges Sh26 Billion to Kenya’s Health Sector as Trump Cuts Foreign Aid

American billionaire Bill Gates has committed Sh26 billion in direct budget support to Kenya’s health sector, offering a lifeline as the Trump administration slashes foreign aid programmes across Africa.

The Gates Foundation grant, alongside Sh4 billion from the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, brings total philanthropic support to Sh30 billion for the current fiscal year ending in June, according to data from the University of Nairobi’s Centre for Epidemiological Modelling.

The funding comes at a critical time for Kenya’s healthcare system, which has seen total external support plummet from Sh126 billion last year to just Sh54 billion in the 2025/26 financial year. Off-budget support alone dropped from Sh87 billion to Sh26 billion, following President Donald Trump’s decision to cut major US-funded health contracts.

Gates Foundation has announced plans to invest tens of billions of dollars in women’s health globally, focusing on conditions that have historically been neglected. The investment will target five key areas including obstetric care and maternal immunisation, maternal health and nutrition, gynaecological and menstrual health, contraceptive innovation, and sexually transmitted infections.

Warren Buffett’s foundation, named after his first wife and managed by his children, is providing direct financing to the Kenyan government for the first time. The organisation supports reproductive health initiatives, including access to contraception and safe abortion services.

The aid cuts have created a critical shortage of essential medicines worth Sh34.7 billion, with HIV treatments facing the largest gap at Sh14.47 billion, followed by tuberculosis drugs at Sh13.81 billion. Vaccines, nutrition supplements, and malaria treatments also face significant shortfalls.

The Global Fund, which fights HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, has contributed Sh14 billion in direct budget support, making it one of the top three external funders alongside the Gates and Buffett foundations.

The shift in funding sources has also changed Kenya’s debt structure for health financing. The share of grants in on-budget external funding has risen to 67.9 percent in 2025/26, up from 46.2 percent the previous year, as the proportion of loans dropped to just 32.1 percent.

Gates, ranked as the world’s 14th richest person, and Buffett, the 11th richest, have long collaborated on global health philanthropy. Melinda French Gates, Bill’s ex-wife, has separately invested in women’s health since leaving the Gates Foundation last year.

The American government’s retreat from global health funding has created what observers describe as an urgent gap, challenging wealthy philanthropists and international charities to fill the void left by cuts to US aid programmes that have supported health initiatives across the continent for decades.

February 12, 2026
Lawyers Demand Files on Gates-Linked GM Mosquito Release as Epstein Scandal Rocks Billionaire’s Kenya Operations

Nairobi firm fires legal warning at Health Ministry demanding full disclosure on genetically modified insects as fresh Epstein documents expose Gates’ ties to convicted sex offender

The timing could not be more explosive. Just days after damning revelations about Bill Gates’ extensive relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein rocked the world, a Nairobi law firm has demanded the Kenyan government come clean on any plans to release genetically modified mosquitoes in the country, raising fresh questions about the billionaire’s shadowy activities in Africa.

In a scorching legal demand letter dated February 10 and received by the Ministry of Health the same day, Dahir, Affey, Abdullahi & Associates Advocates LLP has invoked the Access to Information Act to force officials to reveal whether Kenya is facilitating lab-engineered mosquito programmes that could unleash irreversible ecological catastrophe on millions of unsuspecting citizens.

The bombshell legal salvo comes as Gates faces unprecedented global scrutiny following the release of nearly three million pages of US Justice Department files exposing his close association with Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in jail in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges. The documents, released on January 31, reveal that Gates met with Epstein numerous times even after the latter’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor, and include explosive unverified allegations in draft emails that Epstein claims to have written about facilitating sexual encounters for Gates.

Gates has vehemently denied the allegations as “absolutely absurd and completely false,” telling Australian media last week he was “foolish” to spend time with Epstein and expressing regret for “every minute” of their association. His ex-wife Melinda French Gates, who divorced him in 2021, has said the Epstein connection was a factor in ending their marriage and that the latest document release brought back “some very, very painful times.”

But the Epstein scandal is only the latest in a string of controversies dogging the Gates Foundation’s operations in Kenya and across Africa. In April 2025, following massive public outcry and a legal challenge from the Law Society of Kenya, the foundation was forced to withdraw from a sweetheart deal that had granted it diplomatic immunity typically reserved for foreign embassies and UN agencies.

Critics had asked a searing question: What exactly is this billionaire from Seattle doing in Kenya that he needs immunity from the law?

Now, with the latest legal demand, three Kenyan citizens represented by the Nairobi law firm are asking an even more disturbing question: Is the government secretly partnering with Gates-linked entities to release genetically engineered mosquitoes into the Kenyan environment without proper public consultation or legal safeguards?

Acting for Abdulhakim Dahir, Omar Faruk Maalim and Abdulwaheed Mohamed Affey, the lawyers warn in language that pulls no punches that gene-drive or genetically modified mosquitoes could trigger “ecological disruption, disease-pattern shifts, resistance dynamics, cross-border dissemination, or long-tail health and environmental harms whose costs are borne by Kenyan communities for decades.”

The letter cites reports and public discourse suggesting Kenya may be hosting, partnering in, permitting or enabling activities involving lab-engineered mosquitoes, including genetically modified mosquitoes, gene-drive mosquitoes, sterile male release technologies or any comparable genetically engineered vector-control interventions intended to suppress, replace or eliminate malaria-vector mosquito populations.

While the Gates Foundation issued a denial on February 7 claiming it does not release mosquitoes or operate laboratories that do so in Kenya, the foundation has been a major funder of genetically modified mosquito research globally. Research institutions in Kenya, including the Kenya Medical Research Institute working with Imperial College London, have been preparing for potential releases of GM mosquitoes to combat malaria.

The lawyers are demanding immediate answers on whether any lab-engineered mosquito programme exists or has been proposed in Kenya, including full documentary records covering planning, procurement, memoranda of understanding, importation, contained laboratory rearing, semi-field trials, field trials, release preparations and community sensitisation activities.

Most dramatically, they are calling for an immediate halt to any such programme until the public is fully informed and proper legal procedures are followed.

The legal challenge invokes Section 19 of the Biosafety Act, which prohibits introduction of genetically modified organisms into the environment without written approval from the National Biosafety Authority and requires public notification and opportunity for representations. The lawyers also cite Section 37 of the Public Health Act, arguing vector control is a core Ministry of Health responsibility.

In a pointed reference that seems to address the Gates Foundation’s recent failed attempt to secure diplomatic immunity, the letter warns: “Where a private foreign or domestic entity drives a project of this magnitude through opaque instruments, donor arrangements, confidentiality clauses, purported privileges, or negotiated immunities and indemnities, the constitutional premise of accountable governance is placed at risk.”

The lawyers want to know whether any entity undertaking or funding such ventures enjoys special privileges, immunities, indemnities or liability limitations insulating it from suit, regulatory sanction, investigation or civil compensation.

“It is not sufficient for the public to be told that experts have approved,” the letter states bluntly. “The law requires lawful approvals, transparent reasons, verifiable risk governance, public participation, and enforceable liability if harm occurs.”

The firm has given the Ministry 21 days to respond but requests prioritised processing given the potential direct impact on life, health and environmental safety. Failure to respond substantively, the lawyers warn, will force their clients to pursue statutory enforcement through the Commission on Administrative Justice and urgent court intervention for mandatory disclosure and restraining orders.

The controversy over genetically modified mosquitoes is part of a broader pattern of Gates Foundation activities in Africa that have drawn fierce criticism. The foundation’s agricultural programmes, particularly through the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa which has received at least 872 million dollars from Gates, have been accused of promoting industrial agriculture methods that benefit large corporations at the expense of local practices and ecosystems.

African faith leaders issued an open letter in 2024 demanding reparations from the Gates Foundation, while reports indicate that AGRA programmes have increased food insecurity rather than alleviating it.

The foundation has also faced controversy over vaccine programmes. In 2014, an experimental HPV vaccine trial in India that was partly funded by Gates was shut down by the government after a parliamentary committee criticised the project as designed to advance the interests of Big Pharma, with reports of severe side effects and deaths among participants.

As the Epstein files continue to reverberate globally, casting fresh shadows over Gates’ philanthropic empire, the legal challenge in Kenya represents a growing African pushback against what critics describe as the billionaire’s colonial-style interventions in public health, agriculture and biotechnology across the continent.

The Ministry of Health had not responded to requests for comment by the time of going to press. The ministry’s official stamp shows the lawyers’ letter was received on February 10, 2026.

With the world now scrutinising Gates’ judgment and associations following the Epstein revelations, and with Kenyans demanding transparency about genetically modified organisms being introduced into their environment, the pressure is mounting for answers about exactly what the Gates Foundation has been doing in Kenya and who, if anyone, is holding this unelected billionaire accountable.

The law firm warns that this is not a political question but a rule-of-law question. “Kenya cannot lawfully outsource public-health experimentation or environmental interventions while also outsourcing legal accountability,” the letter states.

As one critic quoted in investigative journalist Tim Schwab’s book “The Bill Gates Problem” put it, the diplomatic immunity saga exposed the antidemocratic influence and power of Gates, who can shape policy decisions affecting millions without any democratic mandate.

Now, with genetically modified mosquitoes potentially at stake, Kenyans are asking whether their government has once again given a foreign billionaire carte blanche to experiment on their country without proper oversight, transparency or accountability.

The answers, if they come, may determine whether Kenya charts a path toward genuine sovereignty over its public health and environmental policies, or whether it remains a testing ground for controversial technologies pushed by unaccountable philanthropic empires.

February 11, 2026
I Regret Every Minute With Epstein – Bill Gates

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates said he regrets “every minute” he spent with Jeffrey Epstein, after newly released court documents included claims about their past interactions.

The latest batch of files released last week by the U.S. Department of Justice contains emails and draft correspondence linked to Epstein and a number of prominent figures.

Epstein said in a draft email that was never sent that Gates had affairs, helped Bill get drugs to deal with the consequences of having sex with Russian girls, and allowed him to have illegal trysts with married women.

“From helping Bill to get drugs in order to deal with consequences of s** with russian girls, to facilictating his illicit trysts with married women, to being asked to provide adderall fro bridge toumamnts. as I am a medical doctor, but have no presriptions writing abiltiy,” Epstein wrote in an email to himself (with lots of typos), as per several reports.

Gates, however, has denied the claims during his interview with 9News Australia on Wednesday.

“Every minute I spent with him, I regret, and I apologise,” Gates said, noting that “That email was never sent. The email is false.”

The billionaire added that he did not know what Epstein was thinking, adding, “Was he trying to attack me in some way?”

A spokesperson for Gates had issued a similar statement following the document release, saying the material reflects Epstein’s frustration at not maintaining a relationship with Gates.

The spokesperson accused the now-deceased Epstein of attempting to defame the Microsoft co-founder.

“The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epstein’s frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame,” the spokesperson wrote.

Bill Gates and his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates. Credit: NY Times.

Gates claimed that although he had multiple dinners with Epstein over the years after meeting him in 2011, their relationship did not extend further.

He also said he never visited Epstein’s private island and denied any inappropriate conduct.

“The focus was always, he knew a lot of very rich people, and he was saying he could get them to give money to global health,” he stated, adding that “in retrospect, that was a dead end.”

Gates’ former wife, Melinda French Gates, told National Public Radio (NPR) that the document release revived painful memories from their marriage.

The philanthropist, who divorced Gates in 2021, opened up about her reaction to the controversy, saying she was “happy to be away from all the muck.”

“Whatever questions remain there of what – I can’t even begin to know all of it – those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband. They need to answer to those things, not me,” Melinda said.

Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.

February 5, 2026
KEMRI Receives Sh516 Million Gates Foundation Grant for Women’s Health Research

Nairobi, Kenya – The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) has secured a Sh516 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to launch a three-year initiative advancing women’s health research across sub-Saharan Africa, the institute announced last Friday.

The program, named Leadership for Innovation and Excellence in Accelerating Research on Women’s Health (LEA-WH), will commence in January 2026 and aims to empower mid-career African researchers to develop local solutions for pressing women’s health challenges including maternal mortality, gynecological disorders and reproductive health issues.

KEMRI’s Acting Director General Prof. Elijah Songok said the initiative represents a significant investment in Africa’s health future. “The LEA-WH Programme represents KEMRI’s commitment to building scientific leadership that is inclusive, innovative and African-led,” Prof. Songok stated.

The program will train 60 sub-Saharan African mid-career researchers and innovators through a 480-hour annual hybrid curriculum developed in collaboration with the US National Academy of Medicine and the Gates Foundation. The training allocates 70 percent to research and development, 15 percent to women’s health and 15 percent to leadership development.

Participants will follow one of two tracks: an Innovation and Product Development Track for engineers, entrepreneurs and clinicians focused on creating women’s health products, or an Academic Research Track for mid-career women’s health researchers.

By 2033, KEMRI expects the program to yield five to 10 products reaching market testing, establish five to 10 startup companies, file five to 10 patent applications and secure additional research grants for 20 to 50 percent of scholars. The initiative also anticipates catalyzing $3 million to $5 million in follow-on funding.

Prof. Elizabeth Anne Bukusi, who will direct the program, emphasized the vision of African-led innovation. “We aim to cultivate a vibrant ecosystem where African researchers and innovators lead in developing transformative solutions for women’s health,” she said.

The leadership team includes Dr. Martin Bundi for curriculum development, Prof. Nelly Mugo for research and technical training, and Dr. Rose Bosire for leadership development, all operating under an advisory council chaired by Prof. Songok.

Backlash on Social Media

The announcement has triggered renewed criticism on social media, where skeptics have revived conspiracy theories about the Gates Foundation’s work in Africa. Critics on X, formerly Twitter, have questioned whether foreign-funded programs genuinely serve public health or push hidden agendas.

Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). PHOTO/Print

One user claimed KEMRI is now “owned by Bill Gates,” linking the grant to fears about population control in Africa. Others warned that reliance on “billionaire philanthropy” turns African institutions into “testing grounds” for external interests.

These theories, which allege Gates aims to depopulate Africa through vaccines or health programs, have circulated for years despite repeated debunkings by fact-checkers and health experts. Gates has publicly addressed population concerns, stating that improving health and education naturally leads to lower birth rates without coercive measures.

Some users also raised unverified allegations about KEMRI’s past research practices, calling for greater ethical oversight in foreign-funded research.

The Gates Foundation has committed up to $2.5 billion globally by 2030 to address chronically underfunded women’s health areas including obstetric care, maternal nutrition and gynecological health.

As KEMRI positions itself as a regional hub for medical excellence, addressing public skepticism will be crucial to maintaining trust in international health partnerships and ensuring the program’s success.

October 12, 2025
American Billionaire Steps In as Trump Slashes US Aid to Kenya’s Health Sector

Key Facts:

– The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation has granted Sh3.8 billion to Kenya’s health sector
– The grant represents 18.1% of Kenya’s medical services project budget
– Kenya faces a Sh24.9 billion funding gap due to US aid cuts
– Warren Buffett plans to donate 99.5% of his $161 billion fortune to charity

In a significant development for Kenya’s struggling health sector, billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s charitable foundation has announced a Sh3.8 billion ($30 million) grant to the country’s public health department, helping to ease the financial strain caused by recent US aid cuts under President Donald Trump’s administration.

The Treasury’s budget estimates for the fiscal year starting July reveal that the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation will, for the first time, directly finance the Kenyan government through the State Department of Medical Services.

This timely intervention comes as Kenya grapples with a major funding gap following the Trump administration’s decision to drastically reduce foreign aid programs.

The grant represents 18.1 percent of the Sh20.93 billion allocated for projects under Kenya’s State Department for Medical Services in the upcoming fiscal year, making the Buffett Foundation the third-largest multilateral donor to Kenya behind the World Bank and Global Fund.

Kenya’s Ministry of Health had previously stated it needed approximately Sh24.9 billion to replace funding lost from US government sources, including an immediate Sh2 billion to address critical gaps in healthcare services.

“This contribution couldn’t have come at a more crucial time,” said a senior health official.

“With the freeze on US aid threatening essential health services across the country, private philanthropy is becoming increasingly vital.”

Trump’s Aid Cuts Create Regional Health Crisis

Hours after his January 2025 inauguration, President Trump ordered a comprehensive review of US foreign aid programs and tasked billionaire Elon Musk with scaling down the United States Agency for International Development (USAid), which Musk has publicly criticized as a “criminal” organization.

The subsequent aid cuts have severely impacted health programs throughout Africa.

The World Health Organization has warned that eight countries—six in Africa, including Kenya—could soon deplete their HIV drug supplies due to the pause in US assistance.

The crisis extends beyond HIV treatment, affecting vaccine procurement through the Global Alliance Vaccine Initiative (GAVI) and environmental conservation efforts.

Buffett’s Quiet Intervention

At 94, Warren Buffett, the world’s sixth-richest person according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, has stepped in where government support has retreated.

The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, named after his late first wife and managed by his children, typically supports reproductive health initiatives, including access to contraception and safe abortion services.

This direct funding to Kenya’s government marks a shift in approach for the foundation, which has historically channeled support through non-governmental organizations.

Buffett, who recently announced his retirement as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, has been a vocal critic of President Trump’s economic policies.

During a recent shareholder meeting, he criticized Trump’s approach to tariffs, stating they “can be an act of war” and that “trade should not be a weapon.”

While the Buffett Foundation’s contribution provides critical relief, it addresses only about 15 percent of Kenya’s funding shortfall from US aid cuts.

Other private organizations and philanthropists are also stepping in, with GAVI committing a Sh2.6 billion grant to the State Department for Medical Services.

USAid has promised a smaller grant of Sh231.56 million directly to the department, though this represents a fraction of its previous support.

Last year, USAid allocated Sh19.2 billion to various Kenyan programs, already down from Sh32.4 billion the year before.

As international aid dynamics shift under the Trump administration, Kenya and other African nations face the challenge of diversifying their funding sources for essential public services.

Private philanthropy, while helpful, raises questions about the sustainability and predictability of health financing in developing nations when subject to the changing priorities of wealthy individuals and organizations.

Buffett has pledged to donate 99.5 percent of his wealth—currently valued at more than $161 billion (Sh20.8 trillion)—to charitable causes upon his death, with most going to a trust overseen by his children rather than the Gates Foundation, which had previously been his primary philanthropic vehicle.

For now, Kenyan officials welcome the support, which provides a lifeline for essential health services while the government works to develop more sustainable funding solutions.

May 6, 2025
Gates Foundation Withdraws from Agreement With Kenya That Granted It Diplomatic Immunity

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced its decision to transition away from a Host Country Agreement with the Kenyan government, effectively ending an arrangement that had previously granted the organization special status including diplomatic immunity.

The move follows a legal dispute that the foundation says has distracted from its mission to improve health and economic opportunities in the country.

In a press statement released today, Dr. Paulin Basinga, the Gates Foundation’s Africa Director, emphasized the organization’s unwavering commitment to Kenya despite the shift.

“The Gates Foundation is committed to building on two decades of partnership with the people and communities of Kenya to advance health and economic opportunity,” Dr. Basinga said.

“The legal case surrounding the Host Country Agreement has drawn attention away from our core mission. To maintain focus on our work and partnerships in Kenya, we will continue our branch office operations in the country but transition away from the Host Country Agreement.”

The decision was formalized during court proceedings earlier today, where both the Gates Foundation and Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the court of their mutual withdrawal from the agreement.

Meanwhile, the High Court has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the government to provide evidence of withdrawal of diplomatic immunity offered to The Gates Foundation.

The Host Country Agreement, a type of bilateral arrangement often used by international organizations, typically provides privileges such as tax exemptions and immunity from certain local laws—benefits akin to those afforded to diplomatic missions. Critics of such agreements have argued that they can shield organizations from accountability, while supporters say they facilitate the efficient operation of global entities working in public interest areas like health and development.

Operations in Kenya to continue

Despite stepping back from the agreement, the Gates Foundation assured stakeholders that its operations in Kenya will continue uninterrupted. “We are fully committed to Kenya, and we will continue our operations on the ground,” Dr. Basinga stated. “Now more than ever, we look forward to focusing on the people and partners who drive this work, collaborating with our grantees to create lasting impact for a healthier, more prosperous Kenya and region.”

The Gates Foundation is chaired by US Billionaire businessman and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who also doubles up as a philanthropist.

Kenya granted the American foundation a special status through a legal notice number 157 of October 4, 2024, by Prime Cabinet Secretary (PCS) Musalia Mudavadi.

Justice Bahati Mwamuye had, in a November 25, 2024, ruling ordered the suspension and prohibited any members of the foundation from continuing to enjoy any privileges and immunities.

Govt issues clarification

However, Mudavadi while speaking during the official opening of the foundation’s Nairobi Sub-Regional office on November 15, clarified that the privileges and immunities are meant to facilitate seamless operation of international organizations.

He explained the Privileges and Immunities, saying that it is geared towards impactful programs in the country.

Mudavadi said that the foundation has met legal requirements and its Host Country Agreement and that the privileges associated with it have been approved by the Cabinet.

The Gates Foundation has been active in Kenya for over 20 years, supporting initiatives in healthcare, agriculture, and poverty reduction. Its work has included funding for disease prevention programs, such as malaria and HIV/AIDS interventions, as well as efforts to improve maternal and child health. The organization’s decision to maintain its presence without the diplomatic framework suggests a strategic pivot to preserve its partnerships and impact amid changing circumstances.

April 8, 2025
Kenya Grants Gates Foundation Special Status

The Kenyan government has granted the US based charitable entity involved in medical research, the Gates Foundation, formerly known as The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation special status paving way for its expatriates’ officials to enjoy a rare a raft of special diplomatic privileges and immunity in accordance with the Kenya’s Privileges and Immunities Act.

The Gates Foundation was granted the special status at a time it’s facing its owner, Bill Gates is set to stand trial in the Netherlands on November 27, 2024, for allegedly misleading the public about the safety of Covid-19 vaccines.

Reports further indicate that Gates tried to stop the case but the court dismissed his attempts, citing jurisdiction issues as an American citizen.

Prime Cabinet Secretary and CS for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi in legal notice number 157 of October 4, 2024, exercised the powers conferred by section I of the Privileges and Immunities Act to confer special status on The Gates Foundation.

The Foundation is chaired by US Billionaire businessman and Microsoft founder Bill Gates who also doubles up as a philanthropist.

While announcing the special status grant, PCS Mudavadi in the notice explained that that the Foundation is a charitable trust fighting poverty, disease, and inequality in over 140 countries globally.

Mudavadi noted that Kenya has entered into an agreement for cooperation with the foundation, and hence, it’s declared to be a beneficiary of section 11 of the Privileges and Immunities Act.

“The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in this order referred to as “the Foundation”, being a charitable trust fighting poverty, disease, and inequality in over 140 countries globally, and with which the Government of Kenya has entered into an agreement for cooperation, is hereby declared to be an organization to which section 11 of the Act shall apply.” The notice read in part.

Consequently, the foundation will now have the capacity to “enter into contracts, institute and defend legal proceedings, and acquire, hold or dispose of movable and immovable property in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Kenya.

The legal notice also specified that the foundation will be granted the privileges and immunities outlined in paragraphs 3 and 4 of Part I of the Fourth Schedule to the Act.

Additionally, the director, officials, and staff of the foundation, while residing in Kenya and carrying out their duties in service of the foundation, will receive the privileges and immunities listed in paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of Part III of the Fourth Schedule to the Act.

Part III of the fourth schedule of the Fourth Schedule of the Privileges and Immunities Act outlines the immunities and privileges granted to officers and servants of the Gates Foundation.

These include privileges similar to those of diplomatic officials regarding exchange control facilities, repatriation facilities during international crises, similar to those granted to diplomatic missions, and exemption from taxes or duties on importing personal belongings when first arriving to assume their role in Kenya.

Others include immunity from legal action for acts done in the course of official duties, exemption from direct taxes on their salaries, exemption from national service obligations, and immunity from immigration restrictions and alien registration for themselves, their spouses, and dependents.

On Tuesday, June 27, 2023, president William Ruto‘s Cabinet approved The Gates Foundation to set up their operations in Kenya.

The Head of State in the resolutions from a Cabinet meeting allowed the set-up of the foundation’s regional offices in Kenya observing that allowing Kenya to host it will support his administration in providing quality healthcare.

Ruto also announced that setting up a hosting center for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will incentivize investors and bolster more collaborations.

The Gates Foundation was founded in 2000 by Bill and his ex-billionaire wife Melinda Gates to help different communities across the globe access quality and affordable healthcare. It has been instrumental in advancing healthcare and development projects in over 140 countries.

October 26, 2024