U.S. Maintains Strong Health Programs in Kenya Despite Policy Changes

The United States government continues to operate comprehensive health initiatives across all 47 counties in Kenya, even as the current administration reevaluates the long-term direction for American foreign health assistance globally.
This assurance comes from Heidi O’Bray, Health Lead for the Office of Foreign Assistance at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, who notes that Kenya remains a high priority partner for Washington in the health sector.
“When the administration first took office in January last year, there was an assessment of our programs, and it was decided to focus on those making life-saving impacts,” O’Bray explained.
Heidi O’Bray added: “In Kenya, we’re fortunate to have several initiatives that received priority status across HIV, TB, malaria, maternal child health, and global health security.”
The review, she clarified, was not a reduction in health commitments but rather a strategic effort to concentrate resources where they would be most effective.
Health and humanitarian programs emerged from this process as clear priorities for continuation, and Kenya’s initiatives remained largely unaffected.
In September of last year, the administration unveiled its America First Global Health Strategy, a document that O’Bray states establishes a new approach for how the United States collaborates with partner countries on public health.
At the core of that strategy is a framework Kenya now refers to as the Health Cooperation Framework, a memorandum of understanding centered around three pillars; ensuring uninterrupted delivery of life-saving services, optimizing the impact of joint programming, and gradually transferring leadership and financial responsibility to the Kenyan government itself.
“The shift with this framework truly aims to position the Kenyan government in the lead role, designing programs that address the needs of the Kenyan population and align with a five-year vision that reduces reliance on external support and increases domestic resource utilization,” O’Bray said.
Central to this framework is what O’Bray describes as the co-investment model.
As U.S. funding gradually decreases over the five-year period, Kenya is expected to progressively increase its own domestic resource mobilization to fill the gap and maintain the services currently supported by American assistance.
The transition, she emphasizes, is being meticulously and collaboratively planned with the Kenyan government to ensure no patients are left behind.
“We’re implementing this transition deliberately and responsibly to ensure no patients are left behind as we shift to Kenyan government domestic resources,” O’Bray said.
Part of this careful planning involves making services more efficient and affordable before the handover, so that what Kenya inherits is a more streamlined, sustainable health system rather than an expensive dependency.
O’Bray stresses that the U.S.-Kenya relationship in the health sector remains strong, with both governments working in close coordination throughout the planning process.
“We genuinely view Kenya as a valuable partner for the United States government,” she stated. “We’re pleased to maintain health programming in Kenya, continuing across all 47 counties.”
For O’Bray, the fundamental principle is that every dollar spent must now demonstrate clear, measurable impact.
The era of broad foreign health funding without strict accountability is being replaced by one where efficiency, sustainability, and country ownership define success.
Kenya, she believes, is well prepared to meet this challenge.