Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has assured Kenyans that despite an executive order halting foreign aid, the administration of United States President Donald Trump will continue funding some essential programmes in the country.
Speaking before the Senate plenary on Wednesday afternoon, Mbadi disclosed that he had engaged in discussions with a top US official on Monday regarding the impact of Trump’s executive order on Kenya.
According to the CS, the US had been supporting over 100 programmes in Kenya through development partners, but this number had now been significantly reduced to just 15.
“Mr. Speaker, two days ago, I had a meeting with the Charity Affairs representative from the United States in Kenya. We had extensive discussions, and it became clear that the US has been providing aid directly through its implementing partners,” Mbadi explained. He continued, “Before the executive order, there were about 100 programmes running in Kenya, but now, due to the order, only 15 will remain.”
Despite these cuts, the Treasury CS reassured the Senate that Trump’s administration would continue to fund critical sectors, particularly those related to life-saving interventions.
He confirmed that the US government would still provide financial assistance for emergency health services, particularly during outbreaks of highly contagious diseases like Ebola.
Additionally, America would continue funding emergency food relief for communities affected by drought, particularly in the northern regions of Kenya, where hunger remains a pressing issue.
Mbadi also revealed that the United States would uphold its financial support for Kenya’s leadership in the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti.
“These are the key areas that the US will continue supporting, as indicated in our discussions. I have also requested a detailed write-up outlining the impact of this executive order,” Mbadi stated.
“The representative assured me that life-saving interventions would not be affected. Funding for disease outbreaks such as Ebola will not be cut, emergency food assistance will remain intact, and the MSS mission in Haiti will continue receiving US support,” he added.
Trump’s decision to suspend foreign aid for 90 days was part of his “America First” policy. During his inauguration speech on January 20, the US president emphasized that his administration would no longer provide financial aid to countries that did not align fully with America’s foreign policy interests.
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