Kenya: US halts aid to Health Ministry over graft

By Andrew Wasike and Magdalene Mukami

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) – Washington has suspended its financial aid to the Kenyan Health Ministry over corruption concerns, U.S. Ambassador to Nairobi Robert Godec announced on Tuesday.

“What we have done on health assistance is to temporarily suspend technical support that goes directly to the Ministry of Health because of the ongoing concerns about accounting processes and procedures that revolve around corruption,” Godec was quoted as saying by Kenya’s Daily Nation.

Saying that U.S. taxpayers want to see that their money used appropriately, Godec stressed the suspension will only directly affect the one ministry, not overall aid.

“For instance, the millions of Kenyans who receive anti-retroviral drugs through U.S. support will not be affected,” he said.

On the announcement, the Health Ministry tried to quickly assure Kenyans that during the suspension, HIV/AIDS activities, health security, family planning, and nutritional supplements would not be affected.

“This suspension only affects program administrative support and does not affect health service delivery to Kenyans,” said a ministry statement.

It added that the ministry is committed to prudent financial management and accountability of resources received from aid and will engage the U.S. government to address their concerns with a view to lifting the suspension.

A 2016 financial audit revealed that $51.3 million had been lost at the ministry through corruption that year alone, news that caused outrage from Kenyans of all walks of life.