By Alex Ndegwa

A visiting US Senator has given an assurance that Congress will approve Sh960 billion ($15 billion) anti-Aids funding for Africa and Kenya will be a key beneficiary.

Florida Senator William Nelson, who is in the country, expressed optimism that Congress would re-authorise the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) funds to combat the scourge in the continent in the next five years.

Kenya will receive an additional $75 million (Sh4.8 billion) to its $500 million (Sh32 billion) allocation of the Global Fund to fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria, added the Democrat senator.

He said the Emergency Supplementary Funding Bill to authorise the funds was ready.

“It is being sent from the White House to the Congress. It sure has a good chance of passage,” William told a news conference at Treasury Building on Monday, after talks with Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Finance Minister Amos Kimunya and US Ambassador Michael Ranneberger were present.

President Bush launched Pepfar in 2003, committing $15 billion over five years to combat Global HIV/Aids, but renewal of funding for the programme is facing some opposition.

Last year, Bush requested that Congress double original funding to $30 billion over five years. Yesterday, William said the allocation for Africa would be increased, saying the programme was enormously successful, particularly in Kenya.

Courtesy of:http://www.eastandard.net/news/?id=1143989423&cid=4