NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 16- Kenya will receive a 113 percent increase in HIV/AIDS funding from the United States Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief over the next five years.
This follows the signing of an agreement between Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and US envoy Michael Ranneberger that would see Kenya receive Sh207 billion over the next five years to deal with HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment.
“There are no conditions for this say for the fact that the monies need to be utilised in accordance to the agreement and for the intended purposes,” said Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta.
Kenya has so far benefited from Sh97 billion in the first phase of the programme that began in 2003.
Mr Kenyatta said on Wednesday that the government would also increase its budgetary allocation to the kitty by about Sh100 million annually. The present government allocation towards HIV/AIDS is Sh500 million.
US ambassador Michael Ranneberger asked the government to ensure the funds were used for the intended purpose and not diverted.
“What this agreement really does is simply try to specify a little bit more of what each side is going to do and ensure that all the ministries and government agencies and all our agencies at the Embassy of the US government work even more closely together,” he said.
“We have to coordinate and make sure the funds are used in the right way,” he added.
The agreement will be implemented by six lead ministries and coordinated by the National AIDS Control Council.
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