February 11, 2025

Uhuru Lectures African Leaders Over Donor Reliance

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By Mwakwaya Raymond

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has rubbished the United States’ move to pull out from World Health Organisation (WHO) terming it as ‘inconsequential’. 

Kenyatta instead challenged African countries to chart ways and means of being self-reliant instead of relying on donor funds.

He says the African continent has enormous resources that could be harnessed well to change lives across board, but little is being done to realize that outcome.

Addressing delegates on East African Global Health Summit in Mombasa on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, Kenyatta says African countries have misprioritised their individual issues domestically thus ending up relying on external funds.

The President said much effort was geared towards unworthy activities such as civil wars other than development.

“We buy guns from western countries not to deal with terror, but to kill our own selves.” 

He lashed on a section of African leaders who have expressed concern over the withdrawal of US government donations to global recipients saying it was their money and have every right to decide on how to spend it.

“You don’t pay tax in America then why cry and it’s not your money,” he said amid cheers.

After being sworn in, the US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to halt all government aid and spending for a period of ninety (90) days.

This move has sparked panic to a number of countries and organisations that depend on the donor funds for their different activities.

The three day forum has brought together health experts from various sectors and government across the East African Community.

Under the Vision 2030, the member countries have converged to chart ways of being healthy secure by coming up with universal healthcare. 

The Vision 2030 chairman Dr Emmanuel Nzai said the move was long overdue.

Countries attending the EAC summit are Ethiopia, Southern Sudan, Eritrea, Uganda, Tanzania, Comoros, Kenya alongside other representatives across globe. 

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