Nairobi — Kenya is the second largest recipient of United States aid to sub-Saharan African countries, a recent study by the US Congressional Research Service reveals.

President George W. Bush has asked Congress to provide $335 million (Sh24.6 billion) assistance to Kenya in the next financial year starting in October. Only South Africa, which will get $360 million aid surpasses Kenya among the 29 states listed.

In the current financial year, Kenya again is second in the US aid-to-Africa rankings but it trails Uganda set to receive $220 million in 2006, compared to Kenya's $213 million.

Strategic partner

The study explains the country's favoured position by noting that "Kenya is going through a democratic transition following multiparty elections in December 2002 and with Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa and Djibouti, it is regarded as a strategic partner in the war on terrorism."

The aid figures include all forms of US support except food aid, disaster relief and supplemental development assistance for three countries - Ghana, Cape Verde and Madagascar. The three had qualified for a performance-based initiative known as the Millennium Challenge Account. Kenya did not qualify for the programme due to its failure to meet anti-corruption criteria.

The study ranks US as the most generous bilateral donor to Africa followed by France, Germany and the UK.

But US expressions of concern about corruption have had little effect on the ongoing American aid relationship with Kenya. Support for Kenya also remains strong despite the US move to withhold $15 million in aid because of Kenya's refusal to exempt Americans from potential prosecution by the International Criminal Court.