Kenya’s reliance on foreign aid for key sectors such as health and education has come under sharp criticism from Nairobi MCA Robert Alai, following reports that a freeze in US funding has triggered a crisis in the country’s HIV treatment programme.
According to a report by The Nation, the suspension of funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has disrupted access to life-saving HIV medication and services.
Patients who once received a full supply of drugs are now getting reduced doses, forcing more frequent hospital visits and increasing out-of-pocket costs. Viral load testing, which used to be free, now costs up to Sh3,000.
Health professionals warn that years of progress in managing HIV could be lost if the situation is not addressed.
The USAID programme has for decades supported Kenya’s fight against HIV, providing antiretroviral drugs, laboratory equipment, and funding community outreach programmes.
Reacting to the report, Alai said Kenya should not depend on foreign governments to fund essential sectors.
“No government should allow any foreign entity to fund its health, security, education, and agricultural matters,” he said in a post on X.
He urged the government to prioritize domestic funding and take full responsibility for these critical areas. “We must ensure that the Kenyan government fully funds these sectors.
Allowing foreigners to fund these sectors is tantamount to betraying our independence and nationhood,” Alai stated.
The funding freeze, which reportedly traces back to policy decisions made during former US President Donald Trump’s administration, has affected several African countries that depend on American aid for healthcare programmes.
In Kenya, it has exposed the vulnerability of a health system heavily reliant on donor support.
Public health advocates are now calling on the government to explore sustainable funding models that protect essential health services from political and policy shifts abroad.
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