EX.99.CERT

         CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT

I, Carter E. Anthony, President and Principal Executive Officer, certify that:

      1.   I have  reviewed  this report on Form N-CSR of RMK  Strategic  Income
           Fund, Inc. (the "Fund");

      2.   Based on my  knowledge,  this  report  does not  contain  any  untrue
           statement  of a  material  fact  or omit to  state  a  material  fact
           necessary to make the statements made, in light of the  circumstances
           under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to
           the period covered by this report;

      3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements,  and other financial
           information  included in this report,  fairly present in all material
           respects the financial condition,  results of operations,  changes in
           net assets, and cash flows (if the financial  statements are required
           to include a statement of cash flows) of the Fund as of, and for, the
           periods presented in this report;

      4.   The Fund's other  certifying  officer(s)  and I are  responsible  for
           establishing and maintaining  disclosure  controls and procedures (as
           defined in Rule 30a-3(c)  under the  Investment  Company Act of 1940)
           and internal  control over  financial  reporting  (as defined in Rule
           30a-3(d) under the  Investment  Company Act of 1940) for the Fund and
           have:

             (a) Designed such  disclosure  controls and  procedures,  or caused
             such  disclosure  controls and  procedures to be designed under our
             supervision,  to ensure that material  information  relating to the
             Fund, including its consolidated subsidiaries,  is made known to us
             by others within those entities,  particularly during the period in
             which this report is being prepared;

             (b) Designed such internal  control over  financial  reporting,  or
             caused  such  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  to  be
             designed under our  supervision,  to provide  reasonable  assurance
             regarding   the   reliability   of  financial   reporting  and  the
             preparation  of  financial  statements  for  external  purposes  in
             accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

             (c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the Fund's  disclosure  controls
             and procedures and presented in this report our  conclusions  about
             the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures,  as of
             a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report based
             on such evaluation; and

             (d)  Disclosed  in this  report any  change in the Fund's  internal
             control over financial  reporting  that occurred  during the Fund's
             most  recent  half-year  that  has  materially   affected,   or  is
             reasonably likely to materially affect, the Fund's internal control
             over financial reporting; and

      5.   The Fund's other  certifying  officer(s)  and I have disclosed to the
           Fund's  auditors  and the  audit  committee  of the  Fund's  board of
           directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

             (a) All  significant  deficiencies  and material  weaknesses in the
             design or operation of internal  control over  financial  reporting
             which are reasonably  likely to adversely affect the Fund's ability
             to record,  process,  summarize,  and report financial information;
             and



             (b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
             other employees who have a significant  role in the Fund's internal
             control over financial reporting.



Date:  May 27, 2005                   /s/ Carter E. Anthony
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                                      Carter E. Anthony, President and Principal
                                      Executive Officer