Kenya’s power producer Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) has launched a food drive to the tune of KSh10 million targeting residents of nine counties struck by drought.
KenGen Ag. Managing Director and Chief Executive officer Abraham Serem says the food drive which targets communities in areas where the power generator operates power stations has been going on since November 2022 and seeks to alleviate the suffering of millions of families most affected by the prevailing drought.
According to Serem failure in rains besides leading to crop failure, has also affected most of the KenGen power generation plants which relied on water to produce electricity.
“Failure of the long and short rains in 2022 has greatly affected us in the hydropower stations where we have not been able to operate at full capacity due to low inflows of water in the large dams that feed our hydropower stations,” said Serem.
Through the campaign, KenGen said it has distributed food rations to about 200 schools so far in a deliberate move to keep the students in schools.
During the food distribution in schools within the Seven Forks catchment area, several community leaders who witnessed the distribution exercise led by Embu Senator Alexander Mundingi lauded KenGen for supporting communities during good and bad times through the company’s CSR program.
“I want to commend KenGen for the good relations with the community, especially in efforts of water provision towards the community which was very scarce. I want to thank KenGen for the partnership they have had with the County and National Government as well as the communities around them through their CSR program,” said Senator Mundingi.
The nine counties targeted for the campaign include Machakos, Embu, Kilifi, Turkana, Nakuru, West Pokot, Migori, Kajiado, and Kitui where KenGen has an active presence as host counties of various power installations.
