UK Taxpayers Spent £41m on Controversial Sex Chatbot for Kenyan Teens—But Did It Help?

Table of Contents

1. Funding Overview
2. Description of the Chatbot
3. Purpose of the Chatbot
4. Reactions from MPs
5. Recent Aid Cuts
6. Modernization of Aid Approach

BRITISH taxpayers financed a £41 million sex chatbot for Kenyan youth, it was revealed last night.

The Nena was characterized as a “pleasure-oriented digital companion for young individuals exploring sexual health.”

A ‘smart’ contraceptive vending machine in Nairobi The Nena chatbot was designed to assist young Kenyans in ‘exploring sexual health’

The application was funded through a £41 million aid program from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office aimed at investing in technology in developing countries, as reported by The Telegraph reported .

The chatbot was developed to encourage safe sex in Kenya, which has the third-largest HIV epidemic globally, with over half of new infections occurring among young individuals.

It is described as “a pleasure-oriented digital companion for young people exploring sexual health” and was launched for those aged 18 to 24.

Developers stated that the chatbot provided young Kenyans with access to information about sexual pleasure, given the significant interest in learning how to give and receive sexual pleasure.

However, there is no evidence indicating that it has achieved its intended goals.

Members of Parliament have called for a review of foreign aid expenditures following this revelation.

Dame, the shadow foreign secretary, remarked: “Britain is a country, not a charity. In this ever-evolving world, UK Aid must serve our national interests.”

“Aid allocations have not been sufficiently strategic, and far too much money has been directed towards inappropriate projects without adequate oversight or conditions.”

Lee Anderson, Reform MP for Ashfield, further emphasized that this is “more evidence that foreign aid needs to be reduced.”

“I recall a time when funds sent abroad were intended to assist with irrigation and agriculture in poorer nations,” he stated.

“British taxpayers’ money should not be squandered on these absurd initiatives.”

“Whoever conceived this idea should be dismissed.”

This follows the cancellation of numerous overseas aid projects that had been consuming millions of taxpayer pounds, which were finally cut in September.

This comes after the Sun revealed the shocking extent of spending on ineffective projects.

Among the terminated projects is a £3.9 million initiative aimed at “enhancing climate resilience and promoting low carbon development.”

A massive £95 million project intended to “enhance welfare” was also scrapped.

Furthermore, £120 million pledged to “support the Governments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in improving education” was canceled.

Additionally, £4.6 million in direct cash assistance to “climate-vulnerable communities in Malawi” has been eliminated.

In May, Development Minister Jenny Chapman declared that “the era of viewing the UK Government as a global charity is over.”

She informed MPs on the International Development Committee: “We must support other countries’ systems so they can educate their children, reform their healthcare systems, and grow their economies sustainably, ultimately eliminating the need for aid.”

“We have both an opportunity and a responsibility to modernize our approach.”