Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Loves Immunity

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation suffered an unexpected setback due to a recent court case.  

A High Court ruling has revoked privileges and immunities under the Privileges and Immunities Act that were granted to the foundation.  

The court has also ordered that all relative documents be preserved.  

Shock Ruling 

Someone in Kenya would appear to have it out for Bill Gates.  

The foundation has enjoyed these legal protections and benefits since its inception, but that is all about to change.  

Justice Bahati Mwamuye of the Milimani High Court has ruled that all protections for the foundation are now suspended due to a case brought against the foundation by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK). 

Justice Mwamuye ordered, "Pending the inter partes hearing and determination of the application, a conservatory order is hereby issued suspending the Privileges and Immunities (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) Order, 2024, as notified in Legal Notice No. 157.” 

The Justice also suspended protections for all organization members in the foundation, including its director, officers, and lower staff positions.  

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the foundation now have until December 10 to file their responses in the matter.  

The privileges of the foundation were challenged based on the influence the foundation wields in many of the critical sectors of Kenya’s government, such as education, health, and infrastructure.  

Currently, there is no oversight in these matters, which the lawsuit is hoping to change.  

LSK Chief Executive Officer Florence Muturi stated, "It is unfathomable that a private entity with no known national mandate would be granted consular status in Kenya, enabling it to operate with immunity under the Privileges and Immunities Act.” 

The main concern here is that after seeing the privileges enjoyed by the foundation, other organizations could come into the country and try to do the same thing.  

To that point, LSK stated, “The privileges conferred under the Privileges and Immunities Act create an organization immune to national security operations.”