Kenya investigates fake AIDS charities

Kenya's National AIDS Control Council has cut off funding to four fake AIDS charities as part of a sweeping investigation into dozens of nongovernmental groups around the country that claim to offer HIV services, The New York Times reports. AIDS officials in the African nation say that the large sums of money flowing into the country through international programs aimed at reducing the spread of HIV and treating HIV-positive Africans have resulted in corruption at some existing AIDS agencies and fraud at others that receive HIV funds but do not conduct any related programming. "Ever since AIDS arrived on the scene, we've had all manner of people, some with no professional expertise, trying to elbow in on the pandemic," Frances Angila, head of Kenya's oversight group for nongovernmental organizations, told the Times. "The potential for fly-by-night organizations is very high." President Mwai Kibaki, who was elected in 2002, has begun an anticorruption crackdown. Government observers say many of the public and private groups in the country are riddled with corruption following the 24-year presidency of Daniel arap Moi.