Kenya: Ministries return Sh300m Aids cash

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Ministries return Sh300m Aids cash

By GATONYE GATHURA gathura@...

Posted Thursday, March 1 2012 at 22:30

Nacc director says bureacrats not taking HIV at the workplace seriously

Over Sh300 million meant for Aids programmes is being returned by ministries to

the Treasury every year.

National Aids Control Council (Nacc) director Alloys Orago said that as a

result, the head of the civil service has directed all permanent secretaries

that Aids programmes be part of contract performances in their ministries.

Addressing representatives of non-governmental organisations at a planning

session in Nairobi on Wednesday, Prof Orago said it was worrying that ministries

were not taking Aids at the workplace seriously. (READ: Funding crisis hits

Kenya's war on Aids)

" Because ministries report on their Aids control activities directly to the

Treasury and to the head of the public service, there is nothing much that Nacc

can do to improve utilisation of the funds, " Prof Orago said.

Each of the 42 ministries is allocated about Sh10 million for workplace Aids

control programmes but, according to Prof Orago, 73 per cent of this money is

returned every year.

In 2000, all ministries, parastatals and the disciplined forces were directed to

establish Aids control units. Although the meeting had been called to discuss

improved efficiency, declining funding from foreign donors took centre stage.

" Nacc tells us there is funding until 2016 and then what happens after that? "

asked Irene Kamau of Action Now Kenya.

The NGOs also wanted to know how Nacc will be operating in a devolved system of

governance.

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Prof Orago said the organisation would be represented in all the 47 counties and

had presented a funding proposal to the Cabinet requesting that one per cent of

the national budget be allocated to an Aids Trust Fund.

Commenting publicly for the first time on whether it was time to strip HIV of

its special status and manage it alongside other disease, Prof Orago said Aids

was still an emergency.

" HIV, whose prevalence in Kenya is more than six per cent, meets the UN criteria

to be classified and managed as an emergency, " he said.

Major donors and the Health ministries say HIV should now be downgraded from its

emergency status.

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Ministries+return+Sh300m+Aids+cash+/-/1056/1357320/\

-/hcfne0z/-/index.html

[Guest guest]

Ministries return Sh300m Aids cash

By GATONYE GATHURA gathura@...

Posted Thursday, March 1 2012 at 22:30

Nacc director says bureacrats not taking HIV at the workplace seriously

Over Sh300 million meant for Aids programmes is being returned by ministries to

the Treasury every year.

National Aids Control Council (Nacc) director Alloys Orago said that as a

result, the head of the civil service has directed all permanent secretaries

that Aids programmes be part of contract performances in their ministries.

Addressing representatives of non-governmental organisations at a planning

session in Nairobi on Wednesday, Prof Orago said it was worrying that ministries

were not taking Aids at the workplace seriously. (READ: Funding crisis hits

Kenya's war on Aids)

" Because ministries report on their Aids control activities directly to the

Treasury and to the head of the public service, there is nothing much that Nacc

can do to improve utilisation of the funds, " Prof Orago said.

Each of the 42 ministries is allocated about Sh10 million for workplace Aids

control programmes but, according to Prof Orago, 73 per cent of this money is

returned every year.

In 2000, all ministries, parastatals and the disciplined forces were directed to

establish Aids control units. Although the meeting had been called to discuss

improved efficiency, declining funding from foreign donors took centre stage.

" Nacc tells us there is funding until 2016 and then what happens after that? "

asked Irene Kamau of Action Now Kenya.

The NGOs also wanted to know how Nacc will be operating in a devolved system of

governance.

Share This Story

6Share

Prof Orago said the organisation would be represented in all the 47 counties and

had presented a funding proposal to the Cabinet requesting that one per cent of

the national budget be allocated to an Aids Trust Fund.

Commenting publicly for the first time on whether it was time to strip HIV of

its special status and manage it alongside other disease, Prof Orago said Aids

was still an emergency.

" HIV, whose prevalence in Kenya is more than six per cent, meets the UN criteria

to be classified and managed as an emergency, " he said.

Major donors and the Health ministries say HIV should now be downgraded from its

emergency status.

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Ministries+return+Sh300m+Aids+cash+/-/1056/1357320/\

-/hcfne0z/-/index.html