NAIROBI — Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has described the diminishing flow of donor funding to Africa not as a crisis, but as a pivotal opportunity for the continent to reclaim dignity for its youth and chart a more self-reliant future.
Speaking at the inaugural AfricaXchange Convening held in Nairobi, Mr. Mudavadi urged African governments to view the global cutbacks in aid as a clarion call to mobilise internal resources, eradicate corruption, and build homegrown solutions rooted in integrity and shared sacrifice.
“We need to look at this exercise of the diminishing donor funding as a moment for us to give dignity to these young men and women in our respective nations,” Mr. Mudavadi said. “They need respect. They need dignity.”
Reflecting on his tenure as Kenya’s Treasury Minister in the 1990s, he added: “Globe-trotting with a begging bowl was not dignifying.”
The Prime Cabinet Secretary said the continent must revive the spirit of Harambee, the Kiswahili slogan meaning “pulling together,” which once galvanised nation-building efforts in Kenya. He traced its origins to Indian railway workers in the early 20th century and lamented its decline in public ethos.
“We have lost what was the actual principle slogan, Harambee… we should go back to it,” he said.
Mr. Mudavadi also cautioned that shifts in US policy on foreign assistance, once institutionalised, would be difficult to reverse — possibly for decades. With the UK and several European countries also signalling aid reductions, he warned that African countries must recalibrate their development strategies.
“I also think we need to talk to ourselves in our societies to realise that we all have to look internally, think better, work better, use our meagre resources more efficiently,” he said.
He criticised the donor-dependent model of development, arguing it had stifled innovation and self-reliance. “Africa has long been a recipient of philanthropic aid, but the time has come for us to recognise that aid only provides temporary relief that is not sufficient to transform people’s lives,” Mr. Mudavadi said.
He urged a pivot toward sustainable, long-term investment in youth, particularly in education, entrepreneurship, innovation, and digital ecosystems. “Philanthropy must focus on long-term strategies — including building schools, financing innovation, supporting entrepreneurs, and creating an ecosystem for Africa to thrive from within.”
With youth under 35 comprising over 70 percent of Africa’s population, Mr. Mudavadi said governments and stakeholders must deepen access to capital, mentorship, and markets.
“Philanthropy can fill the void left by dwindling foreign aid and build ladders of opportunity for our youth to transition from job seeking to creating jobs,” he said. He called for increased funding for tech incubators, skills training, and mentorship programmes aligned with future employment trends.
He further urged philanthropic organisations to address inefficiencies, reduce administrative costs, and invest directly in community-led enterprises that generate wealth and curb aid dependency.
“Transparency, accountability, and community involvement must become the cornerstones of modern philanthropy,” he said. “Governments, private sector partners, and funders must work together to cut waste and ensure that every dollar delivers maximum impact to the target beneficiaries.
