The latest news in Kenya is the end of the USAID following Trumps’ election to the statehouse. The news has elicited much emotion from across the world. I listened to the former president Uhuru Kenyatta jesting Kenyans for expecting help from a country where they don’t remit their taxes to. I agreed with him wholeheartedly and found it hilarious.
For years, the US has helped third world countries fight deadly diseases such as Malaria, HIV, and Tuberculosis. The help has gone a long way to help many Africans lead healthy and sustainable livelihoods. However, dependency on foreign aid has gone a long way to breed corruption and a helpless mentality among most of us. Personally, I have benefitted from such foreign funded programs. In 2016, I was diagnosed with a deadly bout of Tuberculosis and I ended up receiving great care in the public health sector, courtesy of such aid programs. I can only imagine what could have happened if I was left to pay for such care out of pocket. The purchase of the daily medication, consultation every fortnight, and several CT scans would have been out of reach for my meagre earnings. I can imagine this has been the case for most Africans who have benefitted from the USAID funded programmes.
Now that the foreign aid has been stopped, it means that our Kenyan government has to fund these programmes. From where I sit, I understand that the foreign aid came with management, which means a level of oversight to keep the programmes running smoothly. I am left wondering whether our government structure can be able to sustain such levels of commitment and transparency. Therefore, I am one worried Kenyan given the high levels of corruption evident in our current government. I hope and pray that they have enough commitment to ensure public health adequately funded and managed.
Back to the highlighted issue of dependency to foreign help, it is a good thing that the US has cut us off. It will give us a chance to take full responsibility for our health and governance structures. I agree it is time our country took full responsibility for the health sector. We are the economic hub of East Africa generating enough wealth to pay for treatment for our own citizens. I will be following this matter very closely, as I have witnessed firsthand the importance of health care in the productivity of an individual and a nation. Good health programs are key in giving hope for a better future.
