World bank denies claim on Aids fund to Kenya and blames the NACC

June 28, 2004

So who is telling the truth?

Claim On Aids Funds Denied

Julius Bosire And Mike Mwaniki

Nairobi

The World Bank has released Sh2.1 billion for the fight against Aids,

it said in a statement yesterday.

It accused the National Aids Control Council of delays in

implementing and accounting for the funds.

" The bank has disbursed Sh2.1 billion of the Sh3.8 billion approved

to fight Aids in Kenya, and would have disbursed considerably more

were there no delays in implementation and accounting by the National

Aids Control Council, " the bank's lead Aids specialist, Dr Albertus

Voetberg, said in a statement.

A statement from Nacc, he said, that it was yet to receive the money

painted a totally erroneous picture of the nature of Aids funding in

Kenya by the financial institution, he said.

It accused Nacc of failing to remit accounts due on December 31 for

funds already released.

The donor agency had approved Sh1.8 billion, which was waiting for

NACC use, but if only it submitted books of accounts for the money it

had received. " Sh297 million ($3.8 million) was disbursed as recently

as June 18, and the bank is committed to disbursing the rest of the

portfolio. But this project's end-date is June 30, next year, which

means that there is a pressing need for Nacc to accelerate

utilisation of these funds " .

The statement added: " It would be a sad betrayal of the people of

Kenya if they remained unutilised, bearing in mind the scale of the

problem and the need to save lives. It is precisely because the bank

recognises that Aids is a national disaster that it has continued to

provide funds to fight it. "

Nacc Orege had said: " It is wrong and unfair for someone to

claim that the money has been invested in Treasury bonds... The

policy at Nacc is to immediately release the money to organisations

whose proposals have been approved to fight Aids at the grassroots, "

he said.

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