Donald Trump's Administration Announces Staff Cuts at Kenyan Embassy, Other Countries

• US embassies worldwide, including Kenya, will have to fire both American personnel and those hired from the country where the embassy is located
• President Donald Trump signed an executive order that required State Department employees to adhere to his foreign policy objectives
• International political economist Leshan Loonena Naisho opined that Kenya should maintain diplomatic flexibility by aligning its ties with the US's interests

TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto has over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting and offers profound insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

United States (US) embassies worldwide, including Kenya, have been directed by President Donald Trump's administration to begin preparing for staff reductions.

Why US embassies will reduce staff

Senior embassy officials were asked to submit detailed names of every employee along with their employment status as part of the procedure.

ABC News reported that the directive covers temporary, tenured, and untenured duty assignments.

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According to sources, embassies will have to fire both American personnel and those hired from the country where the embassy is located.

The announcement from the State Department was sent out just before President Donald Trump signed an executive order that required its employees to adhere to the foreign policy objectives of his administration and made it simpler to reprimand them if they did not.

The order, titled "One Voice for America's Foreign Relations," said that the secretary of state "must maintain an exceptional workforce of patriots" to successfully implement foreign policy programmes.

How many workers at the US embassies will be hit?

According to CNBC, some embassies have been instructed to consider cutting back on both local and US employees by 10% each.

The State Department will decide the next move after receiving a list of workers from embassies worldwide.

The National Museum of American Diplomacy states that the majority of diplomatic employees are native to the host nation.

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Separately, a US official stated that the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour had laid off 60 contractors in recent weeks and that additional cuts could be made to other bureaus.

What next for Kenya?

International political economist Leshan Loonena Naisha opined that Kenya should maintain diplomatic flexibility by aligning its ties with the US's interests.

Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, Naisho noted that the government should emphasise Kenya's strategic importance in the East African region.

"Kenya needs to leverage its special ally status effectively. President William Ruto's administration must navigate carefully to maintain strong bilateral ties while protecting national interests. The special ally status could provide opportunities for investment despite Trump's strict policies," he expained.

Was USAID affected?

In related news, the halt of USAID funding led to widespread job losses, plunging many Kenyan professionals into financial and emotional distress.

Healthcare, education, and agriculture initiatives have stalled, leaving vulnerable communities without essential services.

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Many laid-off workers face difficulties repaying loans, paying school fees, and meeting basic needs, with some at risk of being blacklisted by credit bureaus.

USAID staff members, through their unions, sued Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in an attempt to halt the administration's decision.

Proofreading by Asher Omondi, current affairs journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke