It was 11am in Nairobi when I learned how the UK planned to implement aid cuts. As a Pan-African feminist leader supporting women’s rights and feminist movements across Africa, I was devastated. The numbers are stark – £575 million in cuts for 2025 and 2026, a 40 per cent reduction overall, with health and education spending decimated. These cuts will hit hardest in African countries where there are already significant rollbacks in girls’ and women’s rights.
In Kenya, women make important contributions in public and private, as leaders, captains of industry, and as they manage homes, raise families and support entire communities. They are society’s backbone, and the UK’s decision threatens key sectors that are crucial for them.
