Kenya's LGBTQ Centers Stay Open Despite 60% Funding Loss

When John Mathenge had to lay off 25 staff members and 110 volunteers in one day, he made a decision that would define his organization's future. The director of HOYMAS, which runs three health facilities serving Kenya's LGBTQ community, refused to shut down despite losing 60% of funding after US aid cuts.

"We haven't closed any facilities," Mathenge told reporters from his Nairobi office. Instead, the organization turned to local donors and individual philanthropists within Kenya to bridge the gap.

The cuts hit during Pride Month, typically a time of celebration for LGBTQ communities worldwide. This year feels different in Kenya, where organizations that provide healthcare, counseling and safety resources to gay, transgender and gender-nonconforming people face their toughest period in years.

HOYMAS operates three centers serving men who have sex with men, transgender individuals, sex workers and people who inject drugs. The facilities in Nairobi, Kajiado and Nyeri offer primary healthcare, mental health support and violence reporting services.

To survive, Mathenge and his skeleton crew made difficult compromises. Small amounts from Kenya's Social Health Authority now pay three volunteer clinicians who keep the doors open. Outreach programs, healthcare worker training and peer educator initiatives have been severely scaled back.

For Kevin, a university student in Nairobi who relies on these services, the impact was immediate. Counseling sessions became less frequent and supplies like condoms ran low. "There have been periods when supplies ran low, forcing people to look elsewhere or go without resources they had previously relied on," he said.

The Ripple Effect

The decision to stay open despite crushing financial pressure sends a powerful message beyond Kenya's borders. While some organizations scaled back or closed entirely, HOYMAS proved that community-driven funding can sustain essential services when international support disappears.

Mathenge worries most about the mental health impact. Seeing peer educators and former staff struggling without income weighs heavily. But the community's resourcefulness is creating new models for sustainability that don't depend solely on foreign aid.

Kevin remains hopeful despite the challenges. The resilience he's witnessed in his community during this crisis has strengthened rather than weakened his connection to other LGBTQ Kenyans. Local philanthropy, though modest, is proving that Kenyans care about supporting their most vulnerable neighbors.

This Pride Month may not feel celebratory, but Kenya's LGBTQ community is proving that survival itself can be an act of resistance.