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Ugandan Tiktoker Nkajja makes case for foreign aid freeze on US right-wing media

Janice Nkajja appeared on US right wing outlet Fox News last night
Janice Nkajja appeared on US right wing outlet Fox News last night

Ugandan TikToker Janice Nkajja has found herself at the centre of a global debate after appearing on Fox News to defend former US President Donald Trump’s controversial executive action imposing a freeze on foreign aid. 

Nkajja, who has over 15,000 followers on TikTok, went viral after sharing a video supporting the aid freeze, arguing that it could serve as a wake-up call for African nations like Uganda.

Trump's decision, which he implemented on his first day back in office, ordered a freeze on all foreign assistance provided by the US—the world’s largest aid donor. 

A leaked memo later revealed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had placed a 90-day halt on all foreign assistance, with exceptions only for emergency food aid and military funding for Israel and Egypt.

As the directive came into effect, stop-work notices were issued to international aid organisations, affecting millions of people, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, which received over $6.5 billion in humanitarian assistance from the US last year.

Nkajja’s View: A Wake-Up Call for Africa

Despite concerns over the impact of the aid freeze, Nkajja argued that it was a much-needed wake-up call for Uganda and other African nations.

This should be a moment of reflection for Uganda and the African countries in general. We have been asking for a very long time to be liberated from colonialism and neo-colonialism. And now that an opportunity presents itself, for some reason, we are complaining,” she said in her video.

Nkajja further noted that much of the foreign aid received by African countries is lost to corruption, misuse, and inflated salaries for select individuals.

“Often, the money obtained from foreign aid is lost to corruption, misuse, and overrated salaries to particular individuals,” she explained.

Nkajja Defends Her Stance on Fox News

Following the traction her video gained, Nkajja was invited to appear on Fox News, where she doubled down on her argument. 

Speaking to host Will Cain, she acknowledged concerns that the aid freeze would affect people living with HIV/AIDS, but maintained that African nations must use this moment to develop more sustainable healthcare and financial systems.

“I understand where concerns are coming from because this money has been helping people who live with HIV/AIDS, but this presents a great opportunity for African countries to build more sustainable healthcare and financial systems,” she told Cain.

Addressing the issue of foreign aid misuse, Nkajja called for African governments to fix internal financial mismanagement before relying on external assistance.

“We have issues with our own structures and systems, and that is why we keep needing aid. There is a lot of misuse that happens with the money that we have, and we keep having to get more from elsewhere.

"That is why we need sustainability within our own structures if we are even going to handle money that comes from outside,” she stated.

Nkajja’s bold stance earned her praise from her followers, with many applauding her articulacy and courage

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