Nairobi, April 30 -- For decades, countries in the Global South, including Kenya, have operated within a development financing architecture where external support played a central role in bridging gaps in infrastructure, social services and economic inclusion. Official Development Assistance (ODA) has long served as the backbone of this system.

Kenya, for instance, received approximately $2.6 billion in net ODA in 2023. Across Africa, annual aid flows expanded into the tens of billions of dollars throughout the 2010s, underscoring the sustained role of external financing in supporting development priorities. However, these long-standing flows are beginning to plateau and, in some cases, decline.

What was once a relatively stable archite...