Diplomatic Snub: Trump Reverses Biden-Ruto Partnership, Leaves Kenya in the Lurch

NAIROBI, Kenya – A landmark Sh7.8 billion grant from the United States’ Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), intended to overhaul Nairobi’s transport system and alleviate chronic traffic congestion, has been abruptly terminated following an aid review by the re-elected Trump administration, the Kenyan National Treasury has confirmed.

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The grant, which officially took effect in May 2024, was a centerpiece of urban mobility efforts. It was designed to fund the acquisition of high-capacity buses, critical pedestrian safety improvements, and a state-of-the-art transport management center. The project was a partnership, with the U.S. providing Sh5.8 billion through the MCC and the Kenyan government contributing a counterpart funding of Sh1.56 billion.

The primary goals were to spur economic growth, reduce debilitating traffic jams, and promote greener travel options in the capital city. However, the program fell victim to a broader reassessment of foreign aid by President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January 2025.

In a statement, the National Treasury acknowledged the termination, signaling an abrupt end to the anticipated funding stream. The decision leaves a significant hole in Nairobi’s urban planning and dashes hopes for immediate, large-scale congestion relief.

The project’s cancellation comes after some preliminary work had already been completed. A transport management center in the Kasarani area is reportedly finished, representing a tangible but isolated outcome of the initiative. However, the broader, systemic improvements—including the bus fleet and pedestrian infrastructure—are now stalled indefinitely due to the withdrawal of U.S. funds.

“The termination is a significant setback for Nairobi’s commuters,” said an official from the Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (NaMATA), who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to brief the media. “We had integrated these plans into our long-term strategy to decongest the city.”

The official confirmed that while the immediate U.S. funding has been rescinded, authorities have not abandoned the project’s objectives entirely. There are nascent hopes within NaMATA to revive the scaled-down components of the plan using local funding in the next fiscal year, but such a move would face significant budgetary challenges.

The termination leaves Nairobi grappling with its mounting traffic woes without a key source of international support. For now, the promise of a modernized, efficient, and greener transport network for Kenya’s capital remains on hold, a casualty of shifting geopolitical priorities thousands of miles away.

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