Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has criticized the government for lamenting former U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to halt foreign aid.
Speaking in Mombasa on Wednesday, January 29, the former president urged leaders to focus on self-reliance instead of depending on external assistance.
Uhuru questioned why some government officials were upset, emphasizing that Trump had no obligation to support Kenya financially.
"I saw some people the other day crying that Trump has removed funding; that he is not giving us any more money. Why are you crying, it is not your government, not your country. He has no reason to give you anything," he said.
Uhuru described the move as a wake-up call for the country, urging leaders to shift their focus towards effectively utilizing Kenya’s own resources.
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"This is a wake-up call for you to say, ‘What are we going to do to help ourselves?’ instead of crying. Nobody is going to continue holding out a hand to give you. It is time for us to use our resources for the right things. We are the ones using them for the wrong things," he added.
His remarks comes a day after Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'Oei stated that Trump's decision to pause foreign aid will hinder the ability of many African countries to achieve health goals among other targets.
In a statement on Tuesday, January 28, he expressed hope that Trump's administration would develop new strategies to support vulnerable populations.
"The announced pause to U.S. foreign assistance will unfortunately impair the ability of many African countries to meet health and other targets and undermine the realization of SDGs.
"We hope President Trump’s administration will provide new pathways for cushioning most vulnerable populations. Equally, African states must rise up to the challenge and seize the opportunity to wean themselves from external dependency," he said.
