KENYA -US BROMANCE RESTORED LANDING KENYA A MAJOR DEAL

The once-fading US–Kenya friendship appears firmly back on track, with President William Ruto’s Washington visit delivering a major diplomatic win: a US$1.7 billion health assistance deal that marks the clearest sign yet that the two countries have revived their strategic “bromance.”

This renewed warmth comes after a year of visible strain. Relations had cooled significantly when the Trump administration froze key aid programmes and dismantled USAID, leaving Kenya — previously one of the biggest beneficiaries of US health support — grappling with a sharp drop in funding.

Kenya’s health budget was a big loser from the Trump administration’s decision to shutter USAID and freeze most aid spending, leaving an estimated $220 million hole and forcing the Ruto administration to reclassify HIV/AIDS and TB drugs so patients could no longer receive them for free.

That marked a significant shift from the warm, cooperative era that Kenya had enjoyed under previous US governments, where major health programmes — from HIV treatment to malaria control and maternal care — were heavily supported by US spending. The freeze under Trump was widely interpreted as a sign that Kenya’s long-standing friendship with Washington had significantly waned.

But President William Ruto’s recent visit to Washington appears to have jolted the relationship back to life. Flying in as a guarantor of the DRC–Rwanda peace initiative, Ruto used the moment to quietly reopen channels with the Trump White House. The result was a dramatic thawing of tensions — and the announcement of the new US$1.7 billion health assistance deal, the first in a series of bilateral pacts meant to replace what USAID used to provide.

Under the arrangement, money will flow directly to the Kenyan government, a deliberate departure from the old model where NGOs managed large portions of funding. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio framed this as part of the administration’s new “America First Global Health Strategy,” adding that the deal reflects Washington’s recognition of Kenya as a “close and important partner.”

Behind the scenes, US officials have hinted that the agreement also rewards Kenya’s decision to deploy police to Haiti, a mission Washington had quietly encouraged.

Aside from the aid, President Trump also lauded Kenya for her exceptional performances in athletics, paving way for Kenya to participate in future US - marathon tournaments.

Ruto’s visit — and the handshake optics around it —has signaled a restoration of the once-celebrated diplomatic bromance between the two countries. The new package not only plugs the gaping hole left by USAID’s closure but also repositions Kenya as one of Washington’s most trusted allies in East Africa after a year of uncertainty.