Eighteen months after the Trump administration shut down USAID, a painstaking Bloomberg investigation into abandoned water projects in Kenya using interviews, satellite imagery and data analysis has revealed the stark consequences of that decision.

On this week’s Next Africa podcast, Bloomberg’s Senior East Africa reporter, Simon Marks, discusses his findings. Former East Africa USAID director Amanda Robertson then explains what happened when they found out their projects had to be halted immediately.

Get the full story here: Trump's Chaotic USAID Cuts Unleashed Floods, Disease and Poverty

For more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter.

Eighteen months after the Trump administration shut down USAID, a painstaking Bloomberg investigation into abandoned water projects in Kenya using interviews, satellite imagery and data analysis has revealed the stark consequences of that decision.
On this week&rsquo;s Next Africa podcast, Bloomberg&rsquo;s Senior East Africa reporter, Simon Marks, discusses his findings. Former East Africa USAID director Amanda Robertson then explains what happened when they found out their projects had to be halted immediately. Get the full story here:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2026-usaid-water-projects-trump-cuts/?srnd=homepage-africa" data-link-index="2" data-component="story-link">Trump's Chaotic USAID Cuts Unleashed Floods, Disease and Poverty</a>
For more stories from the region, subscribe to the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/next-africa">Next Africa newsletter</a>.

Next Africa is a weekly podcast about where Africa is going and why it matters to everyone.

Each episode tells a story from the continent and follows it through real life, business, politics and culture. From electricity and climate to jobs, migration, technology, sport and music, the podcast looks at the forces shaping daily life and how those changes connect to the wider world.

The show covers challenges and breakthroughs side by side. It explains the impact of energy shortages and climate risk, but also the rise of new industries, creative economies and young entrepreneurs. Stories are reported on the ground and told with clarity, combining data, context and lived experience.

Hosted by Jennifer Zabasajja and built on original journalism from reporters on the ground, Next Africa puts local voices at the centre of the story, delivering clear, factual reporting without cliché or assumption.

Whether you live on the continent or want to better understand a region shaping the future, Next Africa offers insight, perspective and stories worth listening to.

Next Africa is a weekly podcast about where Africa is going and why it matters to everyone.
Each episode tells a story from the continent and follows it through real life, business, politics and culture. From electricity and climate to jobs, migration, technology, sport and music, the podcast looks at the forces shaping daily life and how those changes connect to the wider world.
The show covers challenges and breakthroughs side by side. It explains the impact of energy shortages and climate risk, but also the rise of new industries, creative economies and young entrepreneurs. Stories are reported on the ground and told with clarity, combining data, context and lived experience.
Hosted by Jennifer Zabasajja and built on original journalism from reporters on the ground, Next Africa puts local voices at the centre of the story, delivering clear, factual reporting without clich&eacute; or assumption.
Whether you live on the continent or want to better understand a region shaping the future, Next Africa offers insight, perspective and stories worth listening to.

Inside the stories shaping the world’s fastest-growing continent.

Next Africa

How USAID Cuts Caused Floods in Kenya

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/de04dc7e-1822-4552-9cfb-b49000e82071/transcript