After President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw aid, thousands of Kenyan health workers face unpaid leave and possible job losses. Doctors, nurses, lab technicians, and community health workers, who provide critical care, are now in limbo. The three-month aid freeze has disrupted essential health services, leaving many patients vulnerable.
Hours after taking office on January 20, Trump ordered a review of US foreign aid. He tasked billionaire Elon Musk, a vocal critic of USAID, with scaling down the agency. Musk has previously called USAID a “criminal” organization.
The aid freeze threatens over 35,000 Kenyan health workers. These include nearly 2,000 doctors, more than 1,200 nurses, and thousands of lab staff, pharmacists, and community health workers. A report by the Andelson Office of Public Policy warns that many of these workers may lose their jobs.
Globally, PEPFAR, a US-funded program fighting HIV/AIDS, supports over 271,000 healthcare workers. Many are now receiving stop-work orders. In Kenya, the impact is already severe. Over 2,000 employees of the Ampath-Uzima project have been sent on unpaid leave, disrupting HIV/AIDS treatment for thousands of patients.
Ampath, which operates in Rift Valley, Nyanza, and also Western Kenya, implemented the directive on February 1. Prof. Sylvester Kimaiyo, the program’s head, informed staff in a memo. “All affected employees must proceed on unpaid leave from February 1, 2025,” he wrote, urging them to stay available for updates.
Beyond healthcare, the freeze also threatens conservation projects that rely on US funding. Protests have erupted in Washington, DC, with Democratic lawmakers condemning the decision. Kenya’s government has promised support, but local funding may not be enough to sustain affected programs.
Read more: Trump’s Exit from WHO Triggers a Global Health Crisis
