26th Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum – Africa Perspective

Hon. Gathoni Wamuchomba emphasized that some nations, including Kenya, have made serious commitments and taken significant concessions and loans from China that will impact their economies for the next 30 years. She urged the forum’s honorable members to shift the focus from disengagement to finding solutions and ways to support countries already entangled with China.

She presented a challenge to the forum, calling for a candid discussion on how to assist nations deeply tied to China in overcoming their economic struggles. Wamuchomba shared the current financial strain faced by her government, explaining that her staff members could not be paid salaries due to the financial burden caused by loans taken for infrastructure programs. Hon. Wamuchomba questioned the intentions behind these loans, asking whether they were designed to auction African countries. She raised concerns about the selling off of national assets in Kenya, including the seed company and the iconic Kenya International Convention Center, as a means to meet loan obligations.

Hon. Wamuchomba called for a deeper examination of China’s intentions in providing these loans and challenged the forum members to explore disengagement strategies while providing alternative solutions for African countries facing financial challenges. She urged the forum to address the root causes of the economic struggles and emphasized the importance of finding new paths for African nations that are burdened by loans they cannot afford to repay.