Non-bank financial services providers, Sanlam Kenya PLC and Sanlam Investments East Africa have extended a corporate donation to the Kenya COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.
Sanlam Kenya, the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) listed firm and Sanlam Investments East Africa has boosted the national COVID-19 resource mobilization fund to the tune of Kshs 8million.
Sanlam Kenya Group Chief Executive Officer Dr Patrick Tumbo, said the firms are 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 recognize 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.
He explained that Sanlam and its Kenyan entities (Sanlam Life, Sanlam General, Sanlam Investments East Africa and Saham Kenya) are keen to support the government’s efforts in the supply of medical facilities and equipment and support for vulnerable communities with their immediate needs, including food.
His counterpart Jonathan Stichbury, the Chief Executive Officer of Sanlam Investments East Africa, added that the commitment was aligned to the Sanlam Group’s corporate social responsibility pillars which are structured to raise the wider community’s quality of life. He said that the firms’ have reached out to the Kenya COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund chaired by Jane Karuku, to present the funds.
“We believe that rapid and effective implementation of the health relief funding will aid in the much-desired behaviour change as people stay at home, wear personal protective equipment and maintain social distancing while practising higher standards of hygiene across the board,” said Stichbury, pointing out that it was important to ensure public awareness and compliance is heightened.
In the meantime, the companies have activated socially responsible operating protocols, including establishing new working arrangements and where appropriate, only retaining skeleton staff at branches which remain open with shorter working hours.
