More than 1.4 million Kenyans living with HIV are facing an uncertain future after the U.S. government, under President Donald Trump’s directive, suspended billions in critical healthcare funding.
The freeze on the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) threatens to reverse two decades of progress in Kenya’s fight against HIV/AIDS.
The sudden funding halt has sparked fear among patients and healthcare workers.
Cleopatra Wanjiku, a social media activist living with HIV, says she has received numerous messages from worried patients asking what will happen to them. Experts warn the suspension could have deadly consequences.
“PEPFAR provides lifesaving treatment for over 20 million people. If the funding stops, people will die, and HIV will resurge,” said Beatriz Grinsztejn, President of the International AIDS Society.
Kenya was awarded KSh 43 billion in March 2024 to support PEPFAR initiatives through September 2025.
However, procurement processes have now stalled, and staff at PEPFAR-funded organizations remain uncertain about their future.
Health Cabinet Secretary Debra Barasa said the government is mapping out financial and human resource implications to develop a response plan.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei acknowledged the crisis, urging African nations to reduce reliance on foreign aid.
For patients like Mary Atieno, a mother of two in Kisumu, the situation is dire. “I can’t imagine going back to the days when getting medicine was uncertain. What will happen to my children if I fall sick?” she asked.
By Nairobi