Overdependence on foreign aid is likely to deter us from realizing vision 2030

 Overdependence on foreign aid is likely to deter us from realizing vision 2030

By: Timothy Makokha

When a baby is born, (s)he is fed, taught and supported at an early age after which (s)he is left on his/her own.  Just like a child that is growing towards adulthood, Kenya as a country has reached a point where it has to be economically independent.

For so many years Kenya has been receiving aid from developed countries such as America, china and Japan. My question is; can Kenya survive on its own without any foreign funding? For how long are we to depend on this foreign aid?

Two days ago when the US president, Barrack Obama released a statement about reducing the amount   of money meant for HIV/aids victims, many Kenyans did not welcome the idea.

Thanks for the vision 2030 set by the government some time back. Maybe by 2030 Kenya will be an independent economy.

 Dependence on foreign aid makes us prisoners of the west. Dependency is not only in the government but also at the individual level. Many Kenyans like free things, reaping where they have not sowed. The spirit of hard work should be cultivated among the people of Kenya.  Let us see the need for hard work and self reliance. It is only through hard work that we can maximally utilize our resources.

One sector that needs reforms is the education sector where there is a higher tendency of learners depending on their teachers/instructors/lecturers. Learners at all levels of learning should be nurtured towards a self reliant nation as early as possible. The curriculum in use should be market oriented to enable graduates at all levels of learning to enter job market when they are fully prepared to provide necessary manpower. This will in turn make the government to put trust in our own trained personnel and reduce the burden of hiring expatriates.

It is common knowledge that anything acquired for free is likely to be mismanaged. Reliance on foreign aid encourages laziness among the people of a nation. Some aid comes with conditions that do not benefit recipients.

Currently, Kenya is endowed with several natural resources such as fertile land, rivers, lakes, forests. For instance we are importing paper yet we have forests and paper factory within the country.  Instead of importing what can be acquired locally, its better such funds to be directed towards improving infrastructure for the benefit of the natives of this land.