The United States will further cut its annual health funding to Kenya from Ksh53.6 billion ($414 million) in 2026 to Ksh20.8 billion ($161 million) by 2030 under the bilateral health cooperation agreement that the two countries signed, Kenyans.co.ke has established.
The cuts will affect the funding model for programmes covering HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, polio, maternal and child health, disease surveillance and outbreak preparedness as Kenya gradually takes over their financing.
U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Susan Burns announced the planned reductions during the ongoing Trust Summit in Nairobi on Thursday, October 22, explaining that Washington is shifting towards a model that requires partner governments to finance more of their own health services.
“U.S. funding decreases each year, from Ksh53.6 billion (USD414 million) in 2026 to Ksh20.8 billion (USD161 million) in 2030, as Kenya’s own health spending rises,” Burns said.
U.S. Chargé d’Affaires at the Nairobi Embassy, Susan Burns, during a past engagement.
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US Embassy Nairobi
The five-year framework combines Ksh207 billion (USD1.6 billion) in U.S. resources with Ksh110 billion (USD850 million) from the Kenyan government. The arrangement ties funding to agreed performance targets and gradually transfers responsibility to Kenya.
The latest reductions follow sweeping changes to U.S. foreign assistance under President Donald Trump’s administration, which suspended foreign aid in January 2025 for a review.
The move disrupted programmes in Kenya that depended on American funding, particularly in the health sector.
In March 2025, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi told Parliament that the U.S. had withdrawn support estimated at Ksh52.3 billion (USD405.4 million) for the 2024/25 financial year, affecting several sectors beyond health.
The USAID overhaul also disrupted health projects, threatened jobs and raised concerns about continuity of HIV treatment, tuberculosis services and malaria interventions in Kenya.
Under the new agreement, Washington is shifting from funding channelled largely through implementing partners towards direct government-to-government support. Payments will be tied to agreed milestones, with both countries monitoring performance.
Kenya is expected to increase domestic spending and integrate the programmes into its health system, including the Social Health Authority’s (SHA) benefits package, according to Burns.
Even so, Burns assured that the U.S. was not abandoning Kenya’s health sector, pointing to continued cooperation on disease surveillance, laboratory systems and emergency preparedness.
“Kenya knows what to expect each year. That lets the government plan to take over its HIV, TB, malaria, polio, and maternal and child health programmes and build them into the Social Health Authority’s benefits package,” Burns said.
President William Ruto and U.S. President Donald Trump at the G7 summit in Évian, France, June 17, 2026.
PCS