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).
While meeting Marc D. Dillard, Chargé d’Affaires, 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. 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.
Raila Odinga pleads with US to rethink the crippling of USAID fund. Photo: Courtesy.
On his inauguration day, President Trump signed executive orders, including a 90-day freeze on foreign aid spending, affecting USAID funds globally.
The USAID funding freeze has had a great 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.
