Trump Footsteps: Protests Erupt in UK Demanding Multimillion Funding Freeze to Kenya

Kenya’s foreign aid, received in the form of grants, continues to face setbacks after protests erupted in the United Kingdom—one of its key diplomatic donors—urging for the investigations into billions of shillings allocated to non-priority programs to Kenya. 

According to a report published by The Sun, a UK print publication, Britain spends approximately £15 billion (Ksh2.4 trillion) annually on overseas aid, with £9 billion (Ksh1.46 trillion) managed by the Foreign Office. 

The report further highlighted that Britain regularly spent Ksh17.8 million (£110,000) on a conference in Kenya focused on “preventing gender-based disinformation.”

Following US President Donald Trump’s foreign aid freeze, citizens in the UK have called on their government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, to take similar action by freezing some of the foreign donations allocated to several countries, including Kenya. They are, therefore, protesting and demanding that the government makes the financial cuts. 

They argue that this move could help curb the UK’s increasing waste of foreign grants for funding non-priority programs.

The demand comes amid growing concerns over the impact of such financial dependencies. Critics suggest that freezing donations could prompt the countries mentioned to explore more sustainable development solutions.

Other countries that could suffer should the freeze be implemented are Somalia, Jordan, Nepal, DRC, Colombia, Bangkok, India, Thailand, and Albania

The pressure comes weeks after the Kenyan government and non-governmental organizations faced a major setback following an executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump freezing humanitarian aid and grants to Kenya.

Trump, upon assuming office, appointed billionaire Elon Musk to head the Department of Government Efficiency. The department quickly moved to cut funding for various programs deemed non-essential.

As a result, multiple aid, environmental, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) projects were shut down, with funding halted at the stroke of a pen.

Those proposing the foreign cuts threatened to proceed with demonstrations should the UK government fail to take the foreign aid cuts.

UK Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds maintained that the country had to refocus on the aid cuts, including those spent on defense programs around the world. 

”The whole Cabinet, the whole Government, I think most people in this country recognise the pressures the world is under, and that more will have to be spent on defense,” Reynolds stated. 

”The spending review will set out the road map to that target,” he added, even as the pressure continued to be mounted on the UK government which is among key foreign development partners of Kenya.