The United States of America (USA) and Kenya share a longstanding diplomatic relationship. Over the past decade, the US has significantly invested in foreign aid to Kenya, reflecting a commitment to fostering development, promoting stability, and enhancing bilateral relations.
This financial assistance has taken various forms, including humanitarian aid, economic support, and funding for health initiatives.
A spot-check by WoK approximates US donations to Kenya at around USD 1 billion per year over the last 10 years. This aid has been directed towards several critical areas, including health, education, and economic development.
One of the standout components of this funding has been the investment in combating infectious diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS and malaria. Through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the US has disbursed hundreds of millions of dollars towards supporting treatment programs, prevention efforts, and public health initiatives aimed at improving the overall health outcomes for Kenyans.
Following President Donald Trump’s assumption to office on January 20, the US head of state reviewed multiple initiatives and enacted a 90-day freeze on foreign aid.
The temporary funding freeze could disrupt ongoing initiatives, delay access to life-saving medication, and hinder progress in addressing HIV/AIDS, TB, and immunization efforts, experts have noted.
History of Donations over the last decade
According to a report by Aid Data—a Research Lab at William and Mary, 20 U.S. government agencies and departments have directly contributed to Kenya’s growth and development since 2001. Among these, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) spearheads U.S. bilateral efforts in critical areas such as agriculture and food security, education, health, making devolved governance work for all, peacebuilding, environment, and sustained economic growth
Between 2001 and 2018, the US government increased its annual bilateral assistance to Kenya tenfold, from USD 106 million to 986.54 million. between 2014 and 2020, the United contributed on average USD 931 million in bilateral assistance per year.
According to the US Foreign Assistance website, the US disbursed US $661,869,494 in financial aid to Kenya in 2021.
In 2022, the US advanced US$1,028,094,721 in foreign aid to Kenya. This money was financed through various US agencies for various development projects across various sectors in Kenya.
On June 30, 2022, The United States Embassy in Nairobi announced the approval of $345 million (Ksh40.658 billion) through PEPFAR to support the Kenya HIV response. The funds allocated through the PEPFAR Country Operational Plan (COP) 2022 were implemented from October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2023, in support of critical solutions enabling Kenya to maintain epidemic control.
That same year, WFP welcomed a contribution of US$194.5 million from USAID, to provide critical food and nutrition assistance and resilience-building initiatives for thousands of people who were facing the worst drought in four decades.
In 2023, the US dispatched US$846,303,488 million to Kenya in terms of humanitarian aid.
As of January 24, 2025, Kenya had secured US $698,998,128 in humanitarian aid for 2024 – a significant financial contribution aiming to address some of the country’s most pressing humanitarian challenges.
Of the US$359.2 million received in humanitarian aid, US$182.4 million (50.8%) was allocated through coordinated humanitarian response plans while US$176.8 million (49.2%) was directed toward other humanitarian activities outside these coordinated efforts.
In June 2024, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomed a contribution of US$37 million from the United States Government to provide critical food and nutrition assistance to refugees in Kenya. This contribution enabled WFP to increase rations for vulnerable refugees and resume cash transfers in Dadaab and Kakuma until December 2024.
