Billionaire Warren Buffett to Give Kenya Ksh.3.8 Billion for 2025 Healthcare Budget
Billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett, through the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, is set to inject Ksh.3.8 billion into Kenya’s 2025/26 national budget in a move aimed at cushioning the country’s healthcare sector amid significant cuts in U.S. foreign aid.
According to estimates released by the National Treasury, the grant will be channeled to the State Department for Medical Services to support critical healthcare programs across the country.
This development comes as the U.S. government under President Donald Trump implements sweeping cuts to foreign donations, including a freeze on funding to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The withdrawal of USAID support has left a gaping Ksh.52 billion hole in Kenya’s fiscal projections for the 2024/25 year.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi confirmed that the government is now prioritizing alternative funding avenues and adjusting budget allocations to shield key sectors from collapse.
“With USAID frozen, we are taking bold steps to protect essential services, particularly healthcare, food security, and disease control,” said Mbadi during a press briefing in Nairobi.
In a high-level meeting held last week, Kenyan policymakers resolved to reorganize the health workforce—especially staff previously supported by USAID—in a bid to maintain HIV services. Other measures include boosting local production of essential medical supplies and integrating treatment for HIV, TB, and malaria into the Social Health Authority (SHA) benefits package.
Buffett Steps In as USAID Pulls Out
The Ksh.3.8 billion donation from the Buffett Foundation is expected to partially fill the vacuum left by the exit of USAID, which was slated to provide Ksh.16.5 billion for food security, refugee aid in Dadaab and Kakuma, and agricultural investments in arid regions.
The loss of USAID support has also rattled health and development programs in several African countries, including Nigeria, South Sudan, Mali, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Founded in 1964, the Buffett Foundation was renamed the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation in memory of Warren Buffett’s late wife. It is now managed by Buffett’s children and is one of the largest private charitable organizations in the world, with a longstanding focus on public health, education, and women’s reproductive rights.
As Kenya adjusts to a more constrained donor environment, the billionaires’ philanthropy offers a temporary lifeline—though long-term strategies for financial self-reliance remain urgently needed.
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Billionaire Warren Buffett to Give Kenya Ksh.3.8 Billion for 2025 Healthcare Budget