Written By Kelly Were
NAIROBI, KENYA – In what is being described as both a philanthropic gesture and a power play, American billionaire Warren Buffett has handed Kenya a Sh3.8 billion grant to support the country’s ailing health sector. The funds, disbursed through the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, are earmarked for the State Department of Medical Services as part of the upcoming 2025/2026 financial year.
The donation, channeled through the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, comes at a critical time for the nation’s healthcare system. According to the 2025/2026 Budget Estimates tabled by Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, Buffett’s grant will account for 18.1 percent of the department’s projected Sh20.93 billion budget.
“Wait a minute—how is this captured in the budget?” asked one netizen. “How is it immunised against the acute corruption that has plagued the Ministry of Health time and again?”
Indeed, the grant arrives in the shadow of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order that slashed USAID support to Kenya, halting vital medical supply shipments and leaving a gaping hole in HIV drug and vaccine stockpiles.
The World Health Organization has since warned that Kenya could face dangerous shortages if alternative funding isn’t secured. The cuts have resulted in shortages of essential supplies such as HIV drugs and vaccines, prompting warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO) about potential national stockouts.
While Buffett—currently the sixth-richest man in the world with a net worth of $161 billion (Sh20.8 trillion)—has received global applause for the donation, some Kenyans are questioning the underlying motives. “This isn’t charity—it’s influence wrapped in billions,” said one civil society advocate. “Kenya doesn’t need strings attached to foreign ‘help’. We need systems that work and leadership that’s accountable to its people, not to overseas donors.”
The controversy is further inflamed by revelations in the same budget report that the Presidency is projected to spend even more than Buffett’s contribution—on renovations, luxury upgrades, and what some have called “a bloated parade of useless advisers.”
At a time when mothers are turned away from understocked hospitals and HIV patients face rationed medication, critics argue that Kenya’s priorities are fundamentally flawed. “We’re depending on billionaires to patch up our health system while our own leaders drain public coffers for self-indulgence,” one activist posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, renowned for its advocacy in reproductive health and access to contraception, has been encouraged alongside other philanthropic organizations to fill the void left by departing donors.
In total, Kenya is projected to receive Sh24.47 billion in grants in the next fiscal year. Buffett’s contribution ranks as the third-largest, following the World Bank (Sh12.37 billion) and the Global Fund (Sh4.4 billion). Other notable contributors include the Green Climate Fund, the European Development Fund, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
The grant is expected to cushion the impact of dwindling aid, ensuring continuity in the supply of vital medicines and healthcare services for millions of Kenyans.
