The East African Breweries Limited (EABL) Foundation has announced an investment of over Ksh20 million towards the development of water and sanitation projects in the Lake Basin areas of Lukume, Olembo, Magunga, Okiki Amayo and Ndhiwa.
This is part of the company’s five-year plan to inject over 500 million litres of water into households facing water shortages and replenishing water in the communities they operate in.
The projects are being implemented in partnership with the Lake Basin Development Authority, Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) and Amref Health Africa in Kenya, and will include the drilling and equipping of boreholes, tanks and water kiosks, installation of pumps and construction of pipelines and communal water points.
“We are committed to building thriving communities where we live, work, source and sell by ensuring our projects have a positive impact. One of the ways is by improving access to clean water, hygiene, and sanitation,” EABL Foundation Managing Trustee, Eric Kiniti said in a statement the joint statement issued on Thursday.
“Through our Water of Life program, we are providing access to clean and safe water to millions of people in the country. Our priority is to bring the commodity closer to the people, who in the past, walked several kilometers to access clean water,” he added.
He further added that the investment in the Lake Basin region underscores the Foundation’s commitment to promote universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water.
“The project in Magunga, for example, is set to benefit about 18,000 people in water-scarce villages in Homa Bay County,” he quipped.
“Kenya Red Cross Society is committed to contributing towards the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 by ensuring equitable access to safe, sustainable, and affordable clean water, as well as adequate sanitation and hygiene education. We are delighted to see our partnership with EABL Foundation bearing fruit,” said, Dr. Asha Mohammed, Kenya Red Cross Secretary-General.
“In the Lake Basin Region, we must improve access to clean water and sanitation, build capacity of the local communities to sustainably utilize the water resource and maintain the infrastructure” said LBDA MD Dr. Raymond Omollo
“We aspire to offer sustainable WASH solutions for lasting health change in Africa. We have a track record and competencies in the development and management of water, sanitation, and hygiene programs. We believe we can create lasting change through our work with partners such as EABL Foundation, “said Amref Health Africa CEO, Dr. Githinji Gitahi.
In addition to the projects in the Lake Basin region, EABL Foundation has also funded projects in other counties including Nairobi, Kajiado, Kericho, Kiambu, Kitui, Makueni, Kisumu and Nyeri counties.
Over the years, KBL’s Water of Life programme has benefitted close to 2 million people. Additionally, KBL is planting trees in various water towers in Kenya.
In the last decade, EABL has planted over 1 million tree seedlings in partnership with Nature Kenya, Kenya Forest Service and various Community Forest Associations (CFA’s) across the country.
