Kenya and Uganda will receive the bulk of a $40 million grant by the Wellcome Trust for research and science training in Africa.

The Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri), the region's leading medical research institution, will be the biggest beneficiary of the grant by the trust, receiving nearly $18 million for its research programmes in tropical diseases such as malaria.

In Uganda, the joint Makerere University-London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) research project will receive nearly $2 million to develop infection and immunity research and training within Uganda. The project is headed by LSHTM's Alison Elliott.

Both countries will also benefit from a $14 million component, awarded through the LSHTM, to support training for African scientists to undertake high quality malaria research in local universities. Uganda and Kenya are leaders in this area.

"Strengthening research capacity needs a long-term, strategic approach, which this funding will enable," said Prof Kevin Marsh, director of the Kemri-Wellcome Trust Research Programme. "It's about building scientific leadership and recognising that researchers need a critical mass of support from trained research and non-research staff."

Outside the region, South Africa's University of Cape Town is expected to receive $6 million to establish a Centre for Clinical Infectious Disease Research at the university.

According to Wellcome Trust, which is Britain's largest medical research charity, the grants will increase the local institutions' capacity in such specific areas as translational research, social science research and clinical trials.

This is expected to contribute to meeting the health and development goals of the region, while at the same time strengthening equity in access to health care at household and district levels.

"Excellent scientists also need outstanding facilities in order to pursue their work and careers," said Dr Mark Walport, the director of the Wellcome Trust, while announcing the grants. "We are working with African universities and research institutes to develop programmes to support the institutional infrastructure that is essential to provide a thriving environment for research and for the education of future generations."

The new major grant to Kemri came just days after Kenyan Attorney-General Amos Wako ordered more investigations into allegations of misappropriation of Ksh142 million ($2.3 million) disbursed to Kemri eight years ago. The funds were disbursed by the Treasury through the Ministry of Health during the financial year 1999/2000.

According to the institution's annual report, the funds were intended to buy some property, which never happened.

The Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) had forwarded the report to the AG, recommending that the director of the company contracted for the transaction be charged with obtaining $140,000 falsely and that the director of Kemri and the institute's lawyer be charged jointly with stealing.