Over 40,000 Kenyans jobless after USAID-funded health facilities shut down

Nearly 40,000 Kenyans whose jobs are supported by the USA government aid are staring at possible job losses following the government’s move to shut down overseas mission and merge USAID with the State Department.

In Kenya, the most affected are healthcare workers of different cadres, with the impact of those stop work orders on the workforce already being felt.

The silence at the Liverpool VCT Homa Bay is almost palpable; empty offices and clinics, complemented by tens of parked vehicles, the clearest indicators that the stop work orders drawn from the Trump administration foreign aid freeze are well and truly hitting home.

Homa Bay County Health Chief Officer Dr. Kevin Osuri said: “We have implemented the stop work orders sending employees home.”

One such employee, Quinter Awuor, said: “I have worked here for 15 years, I do not know what to do, tumeshtuliwa sana na haya mambo, tumetegemea hii kazi.”

In Kenya, the freeze will see thousands of doctors, nurses and midwives and community workers lose their jobs; already counties are laying off health care workers in the employ of USAID supported outfits.

One of the facilities hard hit by the USAID impending closure is the Baringo County Hospital that has fired its staff. USAID contributed Ksh.50 million towards salaries in the county.

Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi said: “51 health staff who were working in Baringo County hospital under the payroll of USAID have been terminated.”

His Nyeri counterpart Mutahi Kahiga stated: “The total effect if that we may end up looking at 35,000 layoffs, and we thank the CS Treasury for stating that they will redirect some of the programmes...”

The job losses come as the USAID ordered all of its directly hired personnel to go on administrative leave, aside from those responsible for mission critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programmes.

The stoppage of USAID has raised fears about the future of the fight against HIV and AIDS, with millions living with HIV now staring at uncertain futures; but the Ministry of Health says the government will step in to ensure continuity.