Two Thika-based Firms have donated Ksh 50 million in cash and products to support poor and vulnerable Kenyans who have been afflicted by the effects of Coranavirus pandemic.
Broadways Bakery Ltd and its subsidiary company Bakex Millers Ltd as well as Capwell Industries Ltd handed over their donations to the COVID 19 Emergency Response Fund and the Kiambu County Government.
Jeremy Awoli and Narendra Raval (Guru) received the donations on behalf of Emergency Response Fund while George Muhoho (Patron), Eddy Njoroge (Chairman) and Governor James Nyoro received the contributions on behalf of the Kiambu County emergency response fund.
Bakex Ltd represented by CEO Bimal Shah donated Ksh 7.5 million to the Kenya Covid-19 emergency Response Fund, Ksh 5 million to the county fund and 10,000 bales of its Phulka Atta chapati flour worth sh 12.5 million.
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Kiambu County will receive 1000 bales of the flour while Embu, Isiolo, Kirinyaga, Kitui, Makueni, Nyeri, Laikipia, Meru, Murang’a, Nakuru, Nyandarua, Tharaka Nithi and Uasin Gishu will receive 500 bales each to support needy families.
Soko maize meal flour brand maker, Capwell Industries Ltd, donated maize meal worth Ksh 20 million to the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund
The food and beverage processing is targeting to feed some 85,000 families across the country whereby each family will be receiving two packets of 2kilograms of Soko maize meal.
CEO Rajan Shah told journalists that the firm is seeking to assist vulnerable Kenyans across the country whose livelihoods have been adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
“The Situation is dire since most families across the country cannot meet their daily basic needs including food. These people are our stakeholders and that’s why we as food service providers and corporate citizens decided to participate in this initiative by providing foodstuff that will help needy Kenyans,” Shah said.
The Firm Chief also noted that they have donated food rations worth sh 5 million to the vulnerable Kiambu residents especially those living in slums like Kiandutu, Gachagi, Matharao, Umoja and Chania in Thika sub-county.
Meanwhile, Kiambu Governor James Nyoro said that the county urgently needs 3,000 tons of food to feed vulnerable families afflicted by effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Nyoro said among the food items required are 900 tons of maize meal, rice (600 tons), beans (600 tons), sugar (350 tons) and 300 tons of cooking oil to mitigate the adversity of the virus for more than 10, 000 families.
The governor also sent out an appeal for cash donations to be channeled through the county emergency fund.
He said that a committee comprising of 30 eminent persons of Kiambu headed by former Cabinet Minister George Muhoho and chaired by Eddy Njoroge has is already coordinating the donations.
The county chief said that the committee has already opened an account with Equity Bank and registered a Pay bill number, 5183353, where the cash donations will be channeled.
At the same time, the Governor announced that Tigoni Hospital will be turned into an exclusive Covid-19 facility saying that the hospital already has a 200 bed capacity with plans to add a 100 more in one week’s time.
The Governor also divulged that the County government is in the process of having a supplementary budget saying that it will cater for the required medical and non-medical supplies in health facilities across the county.
He noted that currently, the county will require 60 ventilators, over 120 monitors and over 300 beds as well as ample supply of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical products.
Currently, only the three levels five hospitals, Thika, Kiambu and Gatundu, have two ventilators each.
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