• Kenya Breweries Limited has partnered with Reckitt Benckiser to instal handwashing stations, donated soaps and hand wash.
• The partnership has seen them donate 10 units across the four counties as well as 20 cartons of Dettol Bar soaps.
Image: DANIEL OGENDO
@alalmaurice
Kisumu, Homa Bay, Narok and Tharaka Nithi counties have received soap, tanks and other equipment to promote hygiene and keep the coronavirus at bay.
Kenya Breweries Limited has partnered with Reckitt Benckiser—manufacturers of Dettol and Jik—to promote hygiene to contain the coronavirus as the world celebrates the Global Handwashing Day.
The companies have installed handwashing stations and educated communities living around KBL water projects in Kisumu and Homa Bay and sorghum and barley farmers in Narok and Tharaka Nithi.
A typical handwashing unit has a 100-litre water tank and will be stocked with Dettol soap. The units have a foot pump, a drainage bucket and piping.
The companies have donated 10 units across the four counties and 20 cartons of Dettol bar soaps.
Global Handwashing Day is dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding of the importance of hand hygiene to prevent diseases and save lives.
This year’s theme 'Hand Hygiene for All' is a reminder to work toward universal access to clean water and sanitation and the practice of handwashing with soap.
Arnolda Shiundu, KBL head of sustainability and engagement, said they are committed to improving the livelihoods of communities in which they source, operate and sell their products.
"This initiative is also in line with our commitment to improving access to clean water, hygiene and sanitation in the communities we operate in,” Shiundu said.
She noted that the partnership with Reckitt Benckiser will help communities in the prevention of the spread of Covid-19.
"The products will go a long way to help mitigate outbreaks of other diseases in this region, which was identified as having the highest prevalence of water-borne diseases in the country last year," Shiundu said.
Reckitt Benckiser country manager for East Africa Ibrahim Kibir said one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus is hand hygiene, especially through handwashing with soap for about twenty seconds.
"To beat the virus and ensure better health outcomes beyond the pandemic, handwashing with soap must be a priority and we are here today to ensure that these communities have access to the necessary facilities,” Kabir said.
"RB is driven by its purpose to protect, heal, and nurture in a relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. We fight to make access to the highest-quality hygiene, wellness, and nourishment a right, not a privilege, for everyone."
The brewer has also committed Sh20 million for water and sanitation projects in the Lake Basin Region.
The projects are in the Lake Basin areas of Lukume, Olembo, Magunga, Okiki Amayo and Ndhiwa. They are part of the company’s five-year plan to inject more than Sh500 million litres of water into households facing shortages.
The projects are being implemented in partnership with the Lake Basin Development Authority, Kenya Red Cross Society and Amref Health Africa in Kenya.
They include the drilling and equipping of boreholes, tanks and water kiosks, installation of pumps and construction of pipelines and communal water points.
The project in Magunga benefits about 18,000 people in villages in Homa Bay county
Kisumu Deputy Governor Matthews Owili lauded the partnership geared towards promoting hygiene among county residents.
"The initiative is in line with the efforts put in place by the county and national governments in the fight of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, " Owili said.
He also commended the KBL and LBDA for the construction of the Olembo community water project in Central Nyakach targeted at improving sanitation.
Owili noted the project will benefit residents and the neighbouring schools who have been faced with acute water shortage.
"We are very grateful for our partners for the hygiene and sanitation program. These water projects will immensely increase access to clean water for the locals," he said.