Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has pleaded with the United States of America to reconsider its decision regarding the crippling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which has been a major source of assistance to many nations, including Kenya.
On his inauguration day, U.S. President Donald Trump signed executive orders, including a 90-day freeze on foreign aid spending, affecting USAID funds globally.
The move elicited mixed reactions and sparked debates in Kenya and globally, with many highlighting the implications of the cut, particularly on humanitarian welfare.
While meeting Marc D. Dillard, Chargé d'Affaires at the Embassy of the United States of America to Kenya, Raila took the opportunity to emphasise the importance of the aid and urged the U.S. to reconsider its decision to completely cut the funding, which has been crucial for life-saving activities.
"I hosted Amb. Marc D. Dillard, Chargé d'Affaires at the Embassy of the United States of America, who was accompanied by Political Officer Claire Thomas," Raila informed.
"We reviewed the state of the Kenyan nation and political developments in the USA. I expressed my deep worries about the crippling of USAID and appealed to the US government to rethink decisions that will affect access to humanitarian services, particularly access to life-saving medication," Raila revealed in a post on X on Wednesday.
The USAID funding freeze has had a profound impact on NGOs in Kenya, especially those heavily dependent on foreign aid.
Many NGOs have had to suspend or completely shut down their operations, affecting essential services such as healthcare, education, and food security.
Thousands of employees working for these organisations lost their jobs, creating financial uncertainty for them and their families.
Raila's plea comes at a time when there has been a debate on whether the US should continue with the aid or not.
On Tuesday, Federal Judge Theodore Chuang of Maryland ordered Donald Trump to reinstate nearly all USAID funds. The judge ruled that the withdrawal of the aid likely violated the United States Constitution in multiple ways.
"The court finds that Defendants' actions taken to shut down USAID on an accelerated basis, including its apparent decision to permanently close USAID headquarters without the approval of a duly appointed USAID officer, likely violated the United States Constitution in multiple ways, and these actions hurt not only Plaintiffs but also the public interest," the ruling read in part, as quoted by the BBC.
