Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has criticised African leaders who have been complaining after US President Donald Trump withdrew health aid to Africa.
Speaking during the East Africa Region Global Health Security Summit in Mombasa, Uhuru challenged African leaders to stop crying foul and instead rethink ways to secure funds to facilitate their needs.
He urged African leaders to be independent by ensuring they address the challenges they face, enabling them to free up resources for areas where they are most needed.
Uhuru rebukes leaders lamenting Trump’s funding cuts. Photo: Courtesy.
“I saw some people crying the other day that Trump has withdrawn aid. Why are you crying? It’s not your country, he has no reason to give you anything, you don’t pay taxes in America. This is a wake-up call for you to say, ‘OK, what are we going to do to help ourselves?’” the former president said.
According to Uhuru, it’s time for Africans to use their resources for the right purposes and support Africans in living a comfortable life.
“It is time for us to use our resources for the right things. We are the ones using them for the wrong things,” Uhuru noted.
He moreover urged leaders not to rely on foreign aid but instead to prepare their own resources, research, and academia, and invest in independence.
On his inauguration day, US President Donald Trump signed executive orders, including a 90-day freeze on foreign aid spending.
The freeze included current foreign assistance programmes as well, including the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
USAID, which hampers global efforts to combat tuberculosis (TB) was also affected.
