Kenya and Tanzania are among the top recipients of aid from wealthy nations and international organizations, highlighting their dependence on donor funds to support government budgets. According to a new report by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, these two countries, along with Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and several others, received between $2 billion and $8 billion in Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2022. This aid is crucial for financing local government spending, even as the amount of donations is beginning to decline due to shifting priorities among donor nations.
The report notes that between 2013 and 2022, Africa received more ODA than any other region of the world in all years except 2018. However, the total aid to the continent decreased from $86.4 billion in 2020 to $81.4 billion in 2022. In addition to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and the DRC, other major recipients of aid include Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mozambique, Morocco, and Niger. In total, these ten countries received $37.8 billion in 2022, accounting for 46.4% of all ODA to Africa.
In terms of individual amounts, the DRC received $3.4 billion in aid, Kenya $3.3 billion, Tanzania $3 billion, and Uganda $2.4 billion. These figures are comparable to the amounts these countries aim to collect through additional taxes, as they implement fiscal consolidation measures to reduce high debt levels.
Interestingly, many of these countries, despite receiving large amounts of aid, are among Africa’s wealthiest nations, collectively making up about 45% of the continent’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the World Bank.
However, ODA often comes with stringent conditions. Aid from organizations like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank—the largest providers of ODA to Africa—typically requires governments to implement economic reforms
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