Sanlam and KCB Commit Ksh 158 M To Aid Fights Against COVID-19 In Kenya

The fight against coronavirus pandemic in Kenya has received a boost after a non-bank financial services providers, Sanlam Kenya PLC and Sanlam Investments East Africa, together with a major financier Kenya Commercial Bank (KBC), extended a corporate donation to the Emergency Response Fund.

The three donated an amount of Ksh 158 million (Sanlam 8 and KCB 10), to the Kenya COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, to boost the national COVID-19 resource mobilization, aid the fight against the pandemic and to cushion vulnerable citizens affected by the pandemic.

Sanlam Kenya Group Chief Executive Officer Dr Patrick Tumbo, said they 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 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.

Tumbo further noted 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.

Speaking on the aid, KCB Group CEO and MD Joshua Oigara said; “We stand with the nation to help limit the spread of the virus and ease the related economic hardships faced by the communities in which we operate in.”

The KCB contribution is in addition to the other measures the Bank has taken to cushion the customer and other stakeholders against the raging impact of coronavirus. These initiatives include a KShs. 20M donation to the Ministry of ICT in kind— public advertisement— to fund the public health campaign.

“This pandemic is a new test of our collective strength and we must work together to address it. We are committed to play our part to support this initiative and complement the Government’s effort in empowering the most vulnerable in our midst,” said Mr. Oigara who is also a Board Member of the Fund Chaired by Jane Karuku.