Over 1,300 employees, including Kenyan journalists, facing potential job losses after being placed on administrative leave by Voice of America (VOA), have received a reprieve following a recent conservatory order issued by a federal judge in Washington.
The federal judge in Washington agreed to a request led by the outlets' employees for a preliminary injunction, a temporary order as a court examines the legal challenge in greater depth.
The judge called on the Trump administration to return all employees and contractors to their jobs and to provide monthly status reports on compliance.
Following Trump's initial order, VOA’s director, Michael Abramowitz, confirmed the new development, noting that it was the first time in the company's 83-year history that they had faced such a setback.
''I am deeply saddened that for the first time in 83 years, the storied Voice of America is being silenced,'' he wrote on LinkedIn.
Kenyan journalists working at VOA were impacted by the suspension, as the company employs several Kenyan natives in various roles.
Additionally, VOA halted its broadcasting services in the Great Lakes region, which includes Kenya.
Locally, VOA broadcasts via its regular frequency and in partnership with local radio stations, including Radio Citizen.
On March 15, Trump ordered drastic budget cuts affecting the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which is VOA’s parent organisation, along with six other federal agencies.
The USAGM also withdrew financial support from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which broadcasts to Eastern Europe, including Russia and Ukraine, two nations that have been the subject of controversial political news in recent years.
Experts expressed worry that the cuts jeopardised access to independent journalism in authoritarian nations, which suppress local media to provide biased coverage.
Trump, who has long jostled with the press and questioned the editorial rules that prohibit interference in government-funded media, issued an executive order on March 14 to eliminate the outlets.
It remains unclear whether the order will be enough to get the outlets back on air, as the Trump administration has already rescinded its decision to withdraw funding following a separate court ruling affecting Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
However, the network reports it has still not received funding for April.
