Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has delivered a strong message to African leaders at the East Africa Region Global Health Security Summit 2025, urging them to reduce their dependence on foreign aid, especially after the United States’ decision to halt federal assistance globally under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Kenyatta emphasized that excessive reliance on external funding hampers long-term economic growth and development in African nations. He criticized the reaction of some African leaders to the U.S. funding cuts, questioning why they were so concerned about the loss of foreign assistance, given that these nations don’t contribute taxes to the U.S. government.
“It is a wake-up call for you to know what you’ll do to support yourselves. Let’s work together to bring an end to that,” Kenyatta urged, stressing the importance of developing self-sufficient systems to handle both health crises and disaster management without depending on international donations.
The former president also highlighted how African countries spend billions on arms for conflicts instead of investing in sectors like health and education, further undermining the continent’s development. He pointed out the tragic consequences of this spending, referencing the immense loss of life and resources across regions like Sudan and the Sahel.
“We need to remember the resources wasted when we kill each other. When we remember the lives lost in Sudan, all the way to the Sahel region, we’ve spent more buying bullets than protecting our health,” Kenyatta remarked.
In addition to calling for greater self-sufficiency, Kenyatta underscored the need for African countries to prepare for future pandemics by investing in their own health infrastructure. He warned against relying on external vaccine supplies, noting that during the COVID-19 pandemic, African nations were often left waiting for surplus vaccines once the needs of wealthier countries had been met.
Kenyatta’s comments come in the wake of President Trump’s decision to pause U.S. foreign aid and withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), which affected critical programs like the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). For countries like Kenya, the loss of this funding poses a significant threat to efforts in combating HIV/AIDS, potentially putting millions of lives at risk.
While acknowledging the challenges posed by the U.S. funding cuts, Kenyatta encouraged African nations to prioritize internal solutions and collaboration, stressing that the continent must take ownership of its health and development agendas.
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