The Ministry of Health has unveiled comprehensive plans to mitigate the impact of US funding cuts, particularly on the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa spoke during a stakeholders' meeting on Wednesday, March 12, where she revealed that the government had developed a health sector transitional roadmap, prioritising essential commodities, service delivery, human resources for health, and infrastructure.
Barasa also stated that the Ministry of Health was engaging with other bilateral donors to anticipate and address potential funding gaps.
Since its inception in 2003, PEPFAR has been instrumental in supporting HIV/AIDS programmes in countries including Kenya. However, the US government’s sudden decision to freeze foreign aid has plunged 1.4 million Kenyans living with HIV into uncertainty.
CS Barasa, however, admitted on Wednesday that the issue of funding cuts was a matter of when, not if, as donors had reclassified Kenya’s economic status.
"We have anticipated this shift," she acknowledged. "Donors signalled an exit by 2030 after Kenya's classification shifted from a low-income to a lower-middle-income nation."
Barasa also urged Members of Parliament to advocate for increased budgetary allocations to the health sector, particularly for HIV and other programmes that were previously supported by the US.
She added, "The progress we have made in terms of HIV response is at risk. We must prioritize financing for essential commodities, human resources and healthcare infrastructure."
In February 2025, the U.S. announced a 90-day limited waiver on the PEPFAR programme under USAID, allowing workers under the programme to continue working.
Activities approved under the waiver include HIV testing services and HIV care and treatment services for all populations and people living with HIV.
Despite the move, stakeholders in the health sector in Kenya remain concerned that the waiver may not be sufficient to mitigate the spread of diseases such as tuberculosis (TB) and HIV.
Counties affected by Trump's directive included Kisumu and Homa Bay counties, where independent organisations funded by the U.S. government and providing financial assistance in the education and health sectors halted their operations.
Similarly, Kenyans employed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), an independent agency of the United States responsible for humanitarian assistance across the globe, were also placed on mandatory leave for 90 days.
