“Stop Laughing At Us. You Left Us With These Deals,” Governor Mutula Kilonzo Fires Back at Uhuru Over Trump’s Foreign Aid Freeze

Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Junior has strongly criticized former President Uhuru Kenyatta over his recent reaction on African leaders’ response to the United States’ decision to cut foreign aid.

Speaking on the impact of the aid freeze, Mutula dismissed Kenyatta’s comments as misplaced, arguing that the withdrawal of support from the US particularly US Agency for International Development (USAID) poses a significant crisis that should be urgently addressed rather than trivialized.

Governor Mutula took issue with former President Kenyatta’s remarks that the aid cut should be a wake-up call for African nations to reduce their dependence on foreign assistance.

“I disagree entirely with President Uhuru Kenyatta [over his statement on the freeze
of foreign aid]because if that was his thought he should have said so when he was President,” Mutula said.

“He can’t say so when he is out of office and he left us with all these deals which were done while he was in office.”

The Makueni Governor claimed that, ex-President Uhuru “can’t laugh at Kenyans” saying in essence he was “laughing at the very people he used to serve.”

Uhuru made the statement on January 29 during the East Africa Region Global Health Security Summit in Mombasa where he was the chief guest, criticizing those decrying the aid cuts, arguing that it was time for African nations to take charge of their own development.
 
“I saw some people crying the other day, saying Trump has removed money and won’t give us money anymore. Why are you crying? It’s not your government, it’s not your country. He has no reason to give you anything. you don’t pay taxes in America, he is appealing to his people, woe unto you ,” he said.
 
He implored African leaders to find better ways to utilize their resources at home and reduce dependency on foreign funding.
 
“It’s time for us[leaders]to use our resources for the right things, we are the ones who are using them for the wrong things.”

However, the Makueni governor has called for a united front beyond political affiliations to address the crisis, emphasizing that health is a critical issue that should not be politicized.

“This is a matter of concern, health is a big issue, and I think that as a nation we must come together, close ranks beyond our little parochial politics and discuss matters of health.”

He termed the announcement by the US to cut aid as a “national crisis that must be dealt with immediately.”

He expressed deep concern over the fate of critical health programs, including those tackling tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS, which heavily rely on USAID funding.

While the government has assured that Kenya has enough stock of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for the next 15 months, Mutula warned that there is no clear transitional plan for what will happen after that period.