Safaricom headquarters on Nairobi's Waiyaki Way. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Safaricom has committed Sh200 million to provide food and
nutrition to Kenyans in need as part of
its contributions to the Covid-19 emergency fund.
its contributions to the Covid-19 emergency fund.
The telco says the cash brings its total contributions in kind and cash to date to Sh5.7 billion.
Other
corporates that have announced their contributions recently include the
National Business Compact Coalition, Kenya, which gave Sh70 million.
The
donation, which is in both cash and kind, was raised by Reckitt and
Benckiser, PZ Cussons, Live Ad, Unilever, Menengai, Copia, Rotary
International, Johnson and Johnson, Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC),
Twiga, Chandaria, and Microsoft.
Devki Group gave Sh20
million cash and oxygen valued at Sh100 million. Others are Ecobank
(Sh10 million), Sanlam (Sh10 million) and UBA Kenya (Sh15 million) among
others.
The United States government also announced an
additional Sh52.9 million ($500,000) investment for training health
workers in its support of Kenya's efforts to combat coronavirus,
bringing its total aid to Sh106 million ($1 million).
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) will
implement the response strategy in collaboration with the Ministry of
Health and county governments.
US Ambassador Kyle
McCarter said his government is committed to working with Kenya to
respond, treat, and recover from the pandemic.
"The US
Government has worked with Kenyans for the last 55 years to mitigate the
spread of infectious diseases, such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria,"
he said.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries
Commission (IEBC) has contributed Sh1.2 million to the emergency fund
while the Visa Oshwal Community made its third food donation to 52
different groups on Tuesday which caters for street children, orphans,
abused women's groups, the physically challenged and the elderly by
giving them a week's supply of food items.
On its part,
Chandaria Industries partnered with the National Youth Council in
contributing donations worth Sh2.7 million. The company donated 10,000
facemasks worth Sh1 million, liquid hand wash also worth Sh1 million and
tissue paper worth Sh700,000.
Safaricom says following
the request President Uhuru Kenyatta for emergency resource
mobilization towards containing the spread and impact of the Covid-19
pandemic, it will give the cash through its M-Pesa and Safaricom
Foundations.
The firm says the financial commitment
adds to its ongoing initiative enabling customers to redeem Safaricom
Bonga Points to pay for essential goods and donate their points to those
in need as a show of goodwill during this period.
To date Kenyans are redeeming an average of 20 million points a day under this initiative.
"We
have made business decisions that will enable our customers access more
of our products and services for at either no cost or at a highly
subsidized rate. These decisions will ensure Kenyans spend their money
where they need it most," Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Peter
Ndegwa, said in a statement on Wednesday.
Ndegwa added
that Safaricom had also made business decisions in the last three weeks
since Kenyans were asked to stay at home to enable its customers access
more products and services either for free or at a highly subsidised
rate.
"Safaricom continues to implement measures to
cushion customers and Kenyans at large from negative impact, currently
valued at Sh5.5 billion, the firm said.
These include
zero rating sending money from one person to another for transactions
below Sh1,000 for three months to reduce the risk of handling cash.
It
has also zero-rated Paybill tills for government hospitals and
dispensaries., doubled bandwidth offered on fibre connections to home,
giving customers an opportunity to work and learn from home and to get
entertained.
It says it has also provided concessional
rates for data access to specific educational content for various
universities and other learning institutions.
The
Safaricom Foundation has also donated thermal cameras worth Sh10 Million
to the Ministry of Health installed that are in various entry points to
the country.
"Safaricom has further supported the
government in the establishment and operation of a 24-7 Covid-19
Information Centre, leveraging the capabilities of our Customer Contact
Centre. We are also hosting over 300 doctors to support the frontline
staff in educating, informing and managing the spread of Covid-19," the
firm said.
"Today we all face a common enemy. We can
only win by supporting each other and standing with the less fortunate
in our society. I urge us all to make a difference by contributing be it
in cash or in kind towards supporting those among us in need," Ndegwa
added.
On its part, Ecobank Kenya said money will be channelled through the recently formed Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund.
"As
part of the community, we are happy to support the Government's call
for all of us to unite in containing a pandemic that continues to ravage
our society. We believe that our contribution will go a long way in
supporting the purchase of the much-needed medical facilities and
crucial equipment necessary for the containment of this disease,"
Ecobank Kenya MD Cheikh Travaly said in a statement.
Sanlam
Kenya CEO Patrick Tumbo said the firm is highly conscious of the fact
that the prevailing situation is totally unprecedented and that the
country has found itself needing to deal with a large-scale health and
social behaviour change intervention.
"We recognise
that there are people with urgent medical needs following circumstances
precipitated by rising positive Covid-19 cases, the need to comply with
the inter-county travel restriction, national curfew and practice social
distancing, among other personal hygiene protocols," said Tumbo noting
that during this critical period, it was important to take care of each
other to ensure the health and safety of families, friends, colleagues
and communities.
Report by Paul Wafula, Sarah Nanjala and Brian Okinda
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