BRITISH taxpayers funded a £41million sex chatbot for Kenyan teens, it emerged last night.
The Nena chatbot was described as a “pleasure-oriented digital companion for young people exploring sexual health”.
The app was paid for by a £41million Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office aid programme to invest in technology in the developing world, The Telegraph reported.
The chatbot was created to promote safe sex in Kenya, which has the third-largest HIV epidemic in the world and where more than half of new infections are among the young.
It is described as “a pleasure-oriented digital companion for young people exploring sexual health” and was rolled out to those aged between 18 and 24.
Developers said the chatbot helped young Kenyans to access information on sexual pleasure tips as there was a strong interest in information on how to give and receive sexual pleasure”.
However, there is no evidence to suggest it has been successful in its aim.
MPs called for a review of foreign aid spending following the revelation.
Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, said: “Britain is a country, not a charity. In this ever-changing world UK Aid must serve our national interest.
“Aid allocations have not been strategic enough and far too much money has been funnelled into inappropriate projects without scrutiny or conditionality.”
Lee Anderson, Reform MP for Ashfield, added that it was “more proof that foreign aid needs slashing”.
“I remember a time when money sent abroad was meant to help irrigate and farm the land in poorer countries,” he said.
“British taxpayers’ money should not be being wasted on these ridiculous schemes.
“Whoever dreamt up this idea needs sacking.”
It comes after swathes of overseas aid projects burning through millions of taxpayer pounds have finally been axed in September.
It follows the Sun’s revelation of the shocking extent of public money squandered on woke development schemes abroad.
Among the projects cut is a £3.9mn scheme to “boost climate resilient and low carbon development” in Iraq.
A colossal £95mn initiative to “boost welfare” in Jordan was also binned.
And £120mn pledged to “support the Governments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan to improve education” was terminated.
Meanwhile, £4.6mn in direct cash handouts to “climate-vulnerable communities in Malawi” were scrapped.
In May, Development Minister Jenny Chapman declared that “the days of viewing the UK Government as a global charity are over”.
She told MPs on the International Development Committee: “We need to support other countries’ systems so they can educate their children, reform their own healthcare systems, grow their economies in ways that last and, ultimately, exit the need for aid.
“We have an opportunity and a responsibility to modernise the way that we work.”
