Kenya’s healthcare gets a lifeline from Warren Buffett who has given the government a direct grant of Sh3.8 billion. The money will go to the State Department of Medical Services to cushion the blow from sharp cuts in foreign aid by the US.
This is the first time the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation—named after Buffett’s late wife and run by his children—has given the Kenyan government directly. The donation is 18% of the department’s Sh20.93 billion budget, a big boost as international health programs face uncertainty.
US Aid Cuts Hit Health Sector Hard
The grant comes after a major shift in US foreign policy under former President Donald Trump who halted or scaled back many USAid-funded projects in Kenya and across Africa. This has disrupted delivery of essential medical supplies including HIV drugs and threatens long-standing partnerships in areas such as reproductive health and immunization.
According to Kenya’s Treasury, the country needs about Sh24.9 billion to replace lost donor funding with Sh2 billion needed immediately to stabilise key programs. An additional Sh2.5 billion is needed to secure vaccines under the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) which has committed Sh2.6 billion to Kenya.
Buffett’s Philanthropy Pivot
Warren Buffett, 94, recently announced he will step down as CEO of his conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway. Known for his smart investments and quiet philanthropy, Buffett has pledged to give away 99.5% of his wealth—now valued at $161 billion (Sh20.8 trillion)—to charity.
He used to partner with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation but now he is directing his remaining fortune to a family-run charitable trust as the philanthropic landscape changes.As US government support dwindles, philanthropists and private foundations are plugging funding gaps in Kenya’s health sector and beyond. Last year USAid’s Kenya funding dropped from Sh32.4 billion to Sh19.2 billion most of which went to NGOs not the government.
The cuts are being felt not just in health but also in conservation and education where ongoing programs are at risk.