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Thousands sent home as US order on funding takes effect

Thousands sent home as US order on funding takes effect
Kisii County Health Executive Ronald Nyakweba (centre) with Deputy Governor Elijah Obebo ( right). He said 518 health workers working under USAID programmes have been sent home. PHOTO/Robert Ochoro

Thousands of workers have lost jobs as the effects of US President Donald Trump’s executive order starts to bite.

The Catholic Church and the University of Nairobi have suspended HIV/Aids projects funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Nairobi, Kajiado and Kisii.

In a letter dated January 30, 2025, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) said their HIV/Aids programmes under the KCCB-ACTS programme have been stopped with immediate effect.

“All activities under this award must immediately cease. Now new finåancial commitment/contracts should be initiated including staff /personnel costs after January 24, 2025,” Dr Moses Muriuki, the principal investigator and programme director said in the letter addressed to all Catholic operated medical facilities.

The letter is copied to the KCCB chairperson of the ad hoc board for AID Relief bishop Cleophas Oseso and KCCB Secretary General Fr Jmaes Mwaura Waweru.

As a result of the suspension, Dr Muriuki said all contracts previously entered into by either KCCB or affiliated facilities in the ACTS programme have been cancelled with immediate effect. The cancelled contracts include patients support costs, administrative travels and supplies.

He however assured that all expenses incurred prior to the date of the directive were payable.

“All the programme vehicles shall remain grounded for the period until this order is lifted. All such facilities are now allowed to use the program vehicles for any other activity. The program team will give further guidance on this,” Muriuki advised.

The Catholic Church had engaged the services of thousands in their facilities across the country in the programme.

On Saturday, the US State Department temporarily halted ban on health programmes offered by US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) following Trump’s executive order on foreign aid.

A statement by Jeff Graham, a Senior Official at GHSD on February 1, said the waiver will last for 90 days to allow for the review of suspended health programmes.

The waiver will also apply to specific services, and exclude others.

The directive only applies to PEPFAR programmes providing urgent life-saving support to HIV and Aids patients, including the supply of ARVs, services that prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission as well as implementing agency and partner administrative costs linked to the aid assistance.

“This waiver does not apply to activities that involve abortions, family planning, conferences, administrative costs other than those covered above, gender or DEI ideology programs, transgender surgeries, or other nonlife saving assistance. Any other activities not specifically mentioned in this guidance may not be resumed without express approval,” the statement explains further.

The programme will continue offering assistance and support to health workers delivering HIV care, provision of HIV testing, drugs and support, care for advanced HIV disease, HIV viral load testing as well as provision of tuberculosis preventive therapy (TPT) and treatment.

Through the waiver, PEPFAR will continue to cater for the transportation, storage, distribution, and management of HIV care and treatment. It will also help in generation of focused data and systems maintenance activities.

Kisii County government has suspended more than 500 workers under HIV/Aids related programmes.

County Health Executive Committee Member Ronald Nyakweba said 518 workers have been affected and will remain at home for the period as the county awaits communication from the US government.

Nyakweba however noted that the county has enough stock of antiretroviral drugs and testing kits in its facilities.

He told those receiving treatment not to panic, adding that the county has deployed workers to replace the suspended ones.

“There is no need to panic. We have enough drugs and staff to dispense the drugs as required and are prepared to ensure there are no hitches,” Nyakweba told the People Daily on phone yesterday.

He said the workers were employed by the county and Faith-Based Organisations but were being paid by the US government.

County Director Public Health and Sanitation Richard Onkware in a letter to lay cadres, outreach workers, mentor mothers, peer educators, HTS screeners and peer navigators assured the suspended workers that they would be paid their January salary\ies.

“We regret to inform you that you should not report to work henceforth until advised otherwise. Be assured you will receive your January salary as per the arrangement” reads the letter in part seen by the People Daily.

Dr Onkware urged those handling different work gadgets to surrender them to officers in charge of the health facilities for safe custody and lauded them for their patience and cooperation.

Meanwhile, the University of Nairobi  has sent an undisclosed number of  employees working with one of the initiatives funded by  USAID on mandatory unpaid leave.

The University’s Faculty of Health Sciences sent all staff working under USAID’s Fahari Ya Jamii (FYJ) project on a three-month unpaid leave starting February 1, 2025.

“Following the 90-day Stop Work Order from the US Government, effective January 24, 2025 (which information is now in public domain), FYJ management has sought clarification from USAID KEA,” a memo dated January 31, 2025, signed by Prof C.F. Otieno, the Director Director, USAID FYJ project states.

It further goes on to advise the employees: “Further to this and to ensure compliance with this directive, all FYJ staff, including those supported through FYJ subawards, will proceed on a three-month unpaid leave starting February 1, 2025, as we await further review of the Stop Work Order.”

Prof Otieno told the employees that his office would provide them with any latest update and guidance on the next steps once he receives further information from USAID.

The University of Nairobi’s  Fahari ya Jamii is a five-year project funded by PEPFAR through USAID)  that operates alongside the Nairobi and Kajiado counties health management teams.

 The project aims to increase equitable access and use of quality county-led health services and support sustainability in the quality of health services and systems in Nairobi and Kajiado Counties.

The project mainly deals with HIV prevention ( Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), and gender-based violence (GBV) services);  Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT);  HIV care and treatment and TB/HIV services and Sexual and reproductive health services, and cervicsl cancer screening among others.

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