The Effects of US Aid Cuts on Kenyan Attitudes toward the US, Government, and Other Donors

The purpose of the study is to examine whether the recent termination of US foreign aid programs has negatively affected public attitudes toward the US in aid recipient countries. In Kenya, the US has been a dominant donor to the health sector, particularly in funding HIV/AIDS programs. The abrupt cuts and disruptions to this funding have raised serious concerns about medication shortages and devastating effects on HIV/AIDS patients, job losses among healthcare workers, and a significant funding gap for the Kenyan government to sustain these critical health programs. These developments are expected to have significant impact on public attitudes toward the US in Kenya and other recipient countries. While some of the adverse effects have been documented in news reports, there is limited systematic data and evidence on public attitudes toward this issue. The main hypothesis is that the US aid cuts worsen attitudes toward the US due to the sudden withdrawal of funding driven by national interests. A second aim is to assess how the challenges caused by the US aid cuts may also shift public attitudes toward both the Kenyan government and other international donors. The current crisis, particularly the funding gap in the health sector, has exposed Kenya’s heavy dependence on US support and revealed weaknesses in the state’s capacity to provide critical public services. In response, the government must seek alternative sources of funding. This situation is expected to reduce public support for the Kenyan government while increasing support for other foreign donors to step in. The study also examines which donors Kenyan citizens prefer to fill the funding gap.