NAIROBI, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Kenya will explore homegrown solutions to finance its critical services, particularly its healthcare systems, as shifting geopolitical dynamics alter traditional funding structures, a senior government official said on Friday.

Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi warned that relying on external funding is no longer sustainable, given the evolving global political and economic environment.

"We must graduate from complaining about Universal Health Coverage to fixing what needs to be corrected for it to work," Mudavadi said during the launch of the Kenya Diaspora Policy 2024 in Nairobi, the capital.

"Nobody is going to underwrite the healthcare of the people of Kenya. It has to be underwritten by Kenyans themselves," he was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Kenyan foreign ministry.

Kenya must transition from dependency to self-reliance, Mudavadi said, emphasizing that Nairobi can no longer rely on external donors to underwrite critical services.

Mudavadi talked about the withdrawal of U.S. donor funding for health programs and called for a policy shift that enables Kenya to stand on its own.

"If we create the right environment, we can tap into this expertise to strengthen our own healthcare system," he said.

Mudavadi said the Kenyan diaspora, when given the right investment frameworks, can play a critical role in transforming the country's infrastructure.

"We cannot continue facilitating investment in a way that disadvantages our citizens," he said, calling for policy adjustments to strike a balance between foreign direct investment and local economic empowerment.

Special economic zones (SEZs) should not just attract international capital but also create tangible opportunities for Kenyan businesses, manufacturers, and workers, Mudavadi said.

He said the diaspora must be integrated into the SEZ strategy, ensuring they benefit from the incentives currently extended to foreign investors. "If we can offer tax breaks and incentives to foreign companies setting up in our SEZs, why not extend the same to our diaspora?"

Mudavadi proposed that diaspora-focused industrial hubs be established within SEZs, allowing Kenyans abroad to set up manufacturing plants, innovation centers, and logistics hubs that support economic growth while keeping profits within the Kenyan economy.

Through proper policy alignment, the diaspora community could use SEZs to create job opportunities, transfer skills, and invest in large-scale industries that drive national development, he said.

Mudavadi reaffirmed the government's commitment to facilitating diaspora investment, highlighting initiatives such as the Diaspora Bond and efforts to lower remittance costs. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)