US President Donald Trump. Photo/Newsflash
By Wanderi Kamau
President William Ruto has been left at a crossroads following a number of drastic policies being implemented by US President Donald Trump.
Trump’s policy shift seems to greatly hurt Ruto’s plans on crucial sectors such as security, health and export of labour.
On Tuesday, 4th February 2025, Ruto was left in a dilemma following the US’s decision to freeze funding for Kenya-led Multinational Peace Mission in Haiti on Tuesday, 4th February, 2025.
The move follows Trump’s suspension of foreign aid for three months.
The United Nation confirmed the surprise decision on Tuesday.
The US had set aside US$ 13 million (Sh1.7 billion) funding for the Kenya-led mission, according to UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
“We received an official notification from the US asking for an immediate stop work order on their contribution,” she said.
There are around nearly 900 police and troops from Kenya, El Salvador, Jamaica, Guatemala and Belize.
Despite being approved by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the operation currently relies on voluntary contributions.
Ironically, the decision comes despite Ruto’s earlier assurance that he had held a phone conversation with Trump over the fate of the peace mission.
“I have had a conversation with US President-elect Donald Trump. I congratulated him following his election as the 47th President of the United States of America. I briefed Trump on the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti and possible areas of co-operation with the US government on this important conflict resolution initiative,” said Ruto on 9th November 2024, days after Trump was announced as the winner of the US presidential elections.
On Tuesday, 28th January, 2025, Ruto announced that he had held a telephone conversation with US’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio on a variety of issues of mutual concern between Kenya and the US.
“We also discussed the United Nations-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti and agreed on a joint strategy to ensure the mission serves its purpose,” he said.
This decision also comes days after the United States Agency on International Development (USAID) suspended its activities on a number of health projects in Kenya following Trump’s foreign aid freeze.
Cumulatively, it is estimated that over 35,000 workers will be left jobless in over 50 countries worldwide.
In Kenya, Trump’s directive is likely to affect over 2000 employees of the US-government funded Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (Ampath)-Uzima project.
Already, the move has sent shockwaves through Kenya’s healthcare system, especially to HIV/Aid patients who depend on the programme’s services.
Apart from healthcare, Trump’s policy on illegal immigrants has sent panic to thousands of Kenyans in the US illegally – without proper documentation.
Since his inauguration on January 20, Trump has signed a number of immigration and border-related orders and decrees aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration.
They include one aimed at curtailing birthright citizenship, and another declaring a national emergency over immigration at the country’s borders.
According to a notice on the website of the Federal Register, the policy took effect on the evening of January 21.
This policy is contrary to President Ruto’s insistence of unemployed Kenyans to seek employment opportunities abroad.
Since assuming power, Ruto has signed labour export deals with several countries like Germany, to enable skilled Kenyan workers to find employment opportunities in those countries.
Samson Hamisi, a political analyst, believes that while Trump’s ‘American first’ policies may seem to hurt most developing countries, it is a challenge to them to find alternative ways of generating income and reduce dependence on foreign aid.
“Trump is just putting the interests of his people – the Americans first. He has not hurt anyone. His policies, however, are a wake-up call to countries that have lived off foreign aid,” he told Newsflash.
On 29th January 2025, retired president Uhuru Kenyatta slammed African leaders blaming Trump following his decision to suspend foreign aid.
“I saw some people the other day crying that Trump has removed funding. It is not your government, nor your country, why are you crying?” he posed.
“He has no reason to give you anything, you don’t pay taxes in America. This is a wake-up call for you to know what you’ll do to support yourselves. Let’s work together to bring an end to that.”
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