East Africa: Obama’s budget seeks aid increases

President Barack Obama’s proposed budget for fiscal 2012 includes sizable increases in funding for development, health, military and anti-narcotics initiatives in East Africa, reports The East African. The contrast between overall austerity and proposed funding increases for Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda highlights the priority the White House assigns to a sub-region deemed of strategic importance to the United States. All the East African countries are in line for significant increases in health programmes that include anti-Aids efforts.