By Timothy Wekesa
BUNGOMA, Kenya
More than 5,000 vulnerable residents of Bungoma County have benefitted from the distribution of productive assets under the USAID 4TheChild initiative, a program designed to empower households through education support and income-generating activities.
Speaking at the county headquarters, Governor Kenneth Lusaka commended USAID 4TheChild for its commitment to uplifting marginalized groups across the county.
“Economic empowerment is central to building resilient communities,” Lusaka said. “My administration remains committed to creating an enabling environment for such programs to thrive.”
The distributed items — including school cheques, stationery, salon equipment and sewing machines targeted orphans, caregivers and households affected by HIV, aiming to reduce dependency and foster self-reliance.
The program currently supports 5,259 orphans and vulnerable children from 2,714 households across all nine sub-counties of Bungoma.
This includes 1,962 children living with HIV, 98 HIV-exposed infants and 3,199 OVC affected by HIV.
Since its inception, the project has invested more than KSh 143 million in Bungoma.
Led by Deputy Chief of Party Kenneth Otieno, the USAID 4TheChild team reaffirmed its partnership with the county government and local community structures to uphold the dignity of vulnerable groups.
“This five-year initiative, which runs until March 2026, is about creating opportunities that allow families to live with dignity and build sustainable futures,” Otieno said.
Dissolution of USAID Raises Alarm
The event comes as the U.S. government has dissolved the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), folding its programs into the State Department.
The decision followed a rapid restructuring in which more than 80 percent of USAID’s global projects were terminated, leaving only a fraction of its initiatives to continue under new management.
The move drastically reduced the agency’s workforce, from over 10,000 employees worldwide to fewer than 300 and disrupted oversight of billions of dollars in unspent foreign assistance.
American watchdogs have warned that much of this funding now risks going unused or mismanaged.
Before its dissolution, USAID was the largest vehicle for U.S. foreign aid, disbursing nearly $44 billion in 2023 — about 60 percent of Washington’s global assistance.
In the same year, total U.S. foreign aid reached $72 billion representing just over 1 percent of the federal budget.
Kenya has been one of the largest beneficiaries of American aid.
In 2023, the country received about $847 million in U.S. assistance with more than $9.7 billion delivered over the past two decades.
A significant share of this funding flowed through USAID programs in health care, food security, education and HIV/AIDS treatment.
Uncertain Future for Kenya
The closure of USAID has raised concerns over the continuity of projects in Kenya.
Bungoma’s 4TheChild initiative is among many programs that could face sustainability challenges if funding pipelines are disrupted.
Governor Lusaka warned that without clear commitments from the State Department or other international donors, vulnerable households risk sliding back into poverty.
Civil society groups have echoed these fears, urging the Kenyan government to increase domestic funding and strengthen partnerships with other development partners to fill the gap.
“USAID has been a lifeline for many families in Bungoma and across Kenya. Its closure raises serious questions about the future of these programs,” Lusaka said.
