KenGen PLC and the KenGen Foundation joined the Government of Kenya in the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 virus through a donation of Sh20million to the Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund set up recently to gather resources for fighting the spread and impact of the virus.

Presenting the check at the Emergency Respond Fund offices at the K.I.C.C on 28April, KenGen PLC’s Managing Director and CEO Mrs. Rebecca Miano said KenGen had joined hands with the Government and other stakeholders in offering economic and social support to the vulnerable community members across the country who have been impacted by COVID-19.

“As KenGen, we take this opportunity to thank the Government for establishing the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, which has been instrumental in mobilizing resources towards containing the spread, effect and impact of Coronavirus disease,” said Mrs. Miano.

READ MORE: Corporate Partnerships Best for Implementing CSI Activities

The company, she added, had set aside an additional Ksh.10 million towards supporting WHO recommended hygiene efforts among community members living near its installations across the country. The additional cash goes towards purchase of hand sanitizers, liquid soaps and water tanks.

Mrs. Miano pointed out that the COVID-19 situation was challenging to many companies and individuals including KenGen, which she said had been forced to suspend a number of initiatives, but encouraged all organizations both public and private to make sacrifices especially at this time to help stop the spread of the disease.

“We must now stand out and reach out to those in need in a show of unity, patriotism and empathy as a nation and give generously, you can donate your time, we have seen others donate resources, others their expertise, and others moral support including counseling,” said Mrs. Miano.

ALSO READ: New Frontier in CSR as Employees take the Mantle of Corporate Social Investments

In Kenya, the extent of devastation that the coronavirus can unleash on the economy is just beginning to take shape. One by one, the corporate world is lining up to join hands in the fight against the novel coronavirus disease. Already, hundreds of millions of shillings has been pledged directly or indirectly to fight the scourge. Pointedly, the main focus now is on containing and mitigating the virus itself.

KenGen’s contribution is part of the support in response to the unprecedented challenge of COVID-19.

“It is our prayer that many more organizations and individuals will come forward and contribute towards this noble cause,” Mrs. Miano further said.

Receiving the donation, the Chairperson of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Emergency Response Fund, Ms. Jane Karuku thanked KenGen for the support and said that through partnerships, they have already raised nearly Shs1.3billion in cash and in kind.

Mrs. Miano was accompanied by KenGen Foundation’s Board Member Shadrack Munyalo, and the Managing Trustee Anthony Igecha, who called on Kenyans especially those in arid and semi-arid areas to take advantage of the ongoing rains and plant trees while observing the laid out measures of preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Mr. Igecha further encouraged students, especially this year’s secondary school and university candidates, to take advantage of the quarantine and study hard for their end on year exams.

Over the years, KenGen PLC has positively impacted lives of individuals and communities.

MORE: Business Value of KenGen’s CSI

The company’s primary business is to provide affordable and dependable electric energy for the country in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner while creating value for its stakeholders.

The company’s CSI efforts have expanded significantly since the establishment of The KenGen Foundation in 2013, purposely established to serve as the vehicle for implementing the Company’s CSR programmes.

The Foundation focuses the Company’s efforts through three key pillars of sustainability namely Education, Environment and Water & Sanitation.

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Follow us on Twitter through @KenGen_Foundatn and like our Facebook page for more updates.

–Ernest Nyamasyo, Communication Officer

The recent Notre Dame Cathedral fire disaster revealed the extent of how philanthropy plays a vital role in humanity when such crises occur.

The determined efforts by the French government and donors around the world saw almost a billion euros pledged within hours to restore the centuries-old building to its former glory.

People, corporations and foundations rushed in with donations to restore the cathedral, despite the fact that humanitarian crises, natural disasters, disease outbreaks and other such calamities are as pressing as ever. 

Yet, unlike other previous global disasters, the cathedral fire recorded virtually no human casualties.

So what motivates such an instant outpouring of donations? Why do we feel compelled to respond to some causes more than others?

More importantly, why has so much been committed for the cathedral, while other calamities such as ongoing starvation tend to receive less attention? Has the way we give evolved

Most people, like you and I, are driven to donate in support of important causes in our community because we are invested emotionally to whatever influences our lives.  However, the bulk of the donations are primarily an emotional reaction to a tragic circumstance, usually involving a large number of casualties and destruction of property.

So it comes as no surprise that the magnitude of the Notre Dame fire attracted a lot of attention within the donor and philanthropic community due to the aesthetic value attached to the cathedral and the widespread destruction witnessed in the wake of the inferno.

As the world stopped and watched the fire ravage the globally recognized iconic landmark, so did the donor and philanthropy community.

A quick look at the faces behind the Notre Dame donations reveals powerful brand names such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, L’Oreal, and French oil producer Total SA just to highlight a few.

Certainly, media of both the news and social variety influenced the response to the Notre Dame Cathedral fire, but more importantly, how the donations are being made. Indeed, the nature and extent of media coverage of the disaster affected the response.

When it comes to giving money, donors and philanthropists are increasingly connecting with their beneficiaries online and online giving is becoming more important. Giving online has become much more common over the past few years, especially among millenials who are younger, educated and those with higher incomes.

ALSO READ: Central Office Givers Lend a Hand during Ngong Medical Camp

Over the past decade and a half, Internet access has become universal and internet-based communications platforms have boomed. This has seen the rise of various fundraising platforms designed to cater to virtually any cause, with the most popular being crowdfunding, a revolutionary online practice of funding a project or venture by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people through websites such as Kiskstarter or GoFundMe.

Granted, traditional donor organizations are skeptical of crowdfunding though admitting that it is a simpler way to raise money than getting a loan or a grant.

Nowadays, donors want to be more involved and meaningfully engaged and crowd giving helps them feel more connected to the causes and other supporters. An online donation is like a vote of support, useful to the beneficiary on a financial level and to the donor on a psychological level.

Other donor organizations are increasingly turning to the creation of online donation tools for transparency and monitoring of funds and activities. Nonprofits stand to benefit because their funding sources will become more diverse and accessible. And donors will get the satisfaction of seeing their money going toward the specific causes they choose.

Results are important too, with donors seeking to see the biggest possible impact from their donations and to see problems permanently solved. While most development organizations are prone to putting a ‘spin’ on the facts to show them in the best possible light while reporting to donors, online crowdfunding is transparent and the impacts are instantly seen by all the stakeholders.

Surprisingly, Facebook arguably one of the most popular social media sites has already introduced fundraising tools on their sites. It launched a donate button on its social-networking site in 2015 and later added tools that make it easy for people to raise money for their favorite causes.

If you feel like you’ve seen more notifications in your Facebook feed that someone is raising money for a good cause to celebrate a birthday or other milestone, you’re probably right. On Giving Tuesday in November, nonprofits raised $125 million with Facebook tools.

Facebook’s photo-sharing app, Instagram, is also developing a tool for nonprofits to collect donations. The new feature will allow charities and their supporters to include a donate button in their posts. When users click on it, they will go directly to a donation form.

Facebook expects to share details on ways charities and their supporters can use the tool, which is still being developed, in the next few months.

While the Instagram donation button will open a new fundraising opportunity to charities, it’s unclear how much overlap there is between Instagram and Facebook users.

We may think we know the motivation of the French billionaires who donated to the cathedral. Perhaps we do. And perhaps we don’t.

Donors today increasingly see the appeal of putting their money into a firm or a fund that will give them a return while affirming their values or supporting a cause they believe in. Impact investing is one such notion that one can make a difference by investing in a company that has a social mission.

By making philanthropy easy and accessible, digital tools such as online fundraising platforms have encouraged a tremendous surge in giving by individuals and donor organizations. This shift presents opportunities for stakeholders with the resources and capabilities to take advantage of new digital channels, particularly online fundraising, which offers significant room for growth.

It is also an opportunity for industry leaders to start conversations geared towards embracing conventional fundraising on how to leverage digital infrastructure to maximize donor engagements; donation options and other services for the digital platforms; improvement of internal operations by leveraging new digital tools and capabilities; analytics to measure and track key activities, and how can we apply digital tools to manage them; and how to tailor operating models to cater to digital needs.

Follow us on Twitter through @KenGen_Foundatn and like our Facebook page for more updates.

–Ernest Nyamasyo, Communication Officer

The scorching February sun was a stark reminder for 200 ‘green’ teachers, including school principals, on the need to embrace environmental conservation in the semi-arid counties of Kitui, Embu, and Machakos. The teachers were attending a three-day capacity building workshop courtesy of the Schools’ Green Initiative Challenge from February 12 – 15.

The workshop saw the registration of 100 new schools to the afforestation competition as the project, a partnership between the KenGen Foundation, KenGen PLC, Bamburi Cement Ltd, and Better Globe Forestry, expands into Phase V.

READ MORE: Fresh Look For Schools Involved in Tree-planting Competition.

The KenGen Foundation team and their counter part from Better Globe Forestry delivered a series of lectures touching on the need to take up the project, the challenges, and the overall benefits of environmental conservation.

The training aimed at empowering the new ‘green’ teachers with technical knowledge on good tree nursery management, planting methods and seedling nurturing practices. They will in turn transfer the skills to the students involved in the afforestation competition.

The 100 new GIC schools will compete in nurturing drought resistant Terminalia brownie, Senna siamea and Melia volkensi tree species in 0.5 acre plots at their institutions. The project aims at greening over 500 acres of the semi-arid counties of Embu, Kitui, and Machakos.

Apart from gaining in-depth knowledge of the characteristics of the GIC tree and fruit species, participants also learnt various nursery management practices including weeding, seed propagation, pest and disease control, and best practices in sustainable water harvesting.

At the end of the competition, the best performing schools stand to benefit from education scholarships, infrastructural developments, educational tours, water tanks, rainwater-harvesting structures, and cash awards.

ALSO READ: Exciting Mombasa Tour for GIC Phase II Winners

Launched in 2013, the GIC is structured as a competition for participating schools to encourage environmental conservation. The Ksh. 120 million partnership encourages schools to establish small forests within their compounds for both wood fuel and commercial purposes. It also aims at enlightening school growing children and youth on the importance of planting trees and protecting the environment.

Currently in Phase IV, the GIC has so far greened over 250 acres in more than 400 schools as a way of mitigating climate change, and involved over 12,000 pupils.

Outstanding ‘green’ teachers from the three counties also stand to win prizes including sponsored trips, cash prizes, shopping vouchers and certificates.

The GIC is the Foundation’s flagship environment project, managed and implemented in collaboration with Bamburi Cement Ltd., and Better Globe Forestry.

Follow us on Twitter through @KenGen_Foundatn and like our Facebook page for more updates.

–Ernest Nyamasyo, Communication Officer

For the pupils at Voondeni Primary School, Machakos County, and Mwea Primary School, Embu, the 2019 academic year began on a high note as they settled into refurbished classrooms courtesy of the Schools’ Green Initiative Challenge, a school based environmental conservation project implemented by the KenGen Foundation in partnership with KenGen PLC, Better Globe Forestry Foundation, and Bamburi Cement Ltd.

The schools’ renovations are part of the KenGen’s continued efforts at improving the education standards of marginalized communities at its areas of operations. The project is a result of a partnership between the Foundation and Bamburi Cement under the GIC to rehabilitate the institutions.

READ MORE: Corporate Partnerships Best for Implementing CSI Activities

“In most of the schools under the GIC, classrooms are old and dilapidated. Through a special appeal from the institutions, the two schools were selected as part of the project’s objective in offering infrastructural support to deserving participating schools,” the Foundation’s Ag. Managing Trustee Anthony Igecha said, attributing poor school performances to deplorable learning environs.

Both schools featured in Phase I of the tree planting competition, recording healthy seedling survival rates and innovations to qualify for the renovations. The pilot project involved a total of 81 schools.

Construction work was done in phases, with the schools ready by the start of the new academic year. Class 4 and class 8 pupils at Voondeni Primary School now enjoy newly refurbished classrooms, while the class 4 – 7 block has new plaster and a fresh coat of paint. Apart from a new classroom, Mwea Primary Schools also boasts on four renovated classrooms including an upgraded verandah and new windows.

ALSO READ: Upper Tana Community Projects Handover Ceremony

Currently in Phase IV, the GIC has so far enrolled 419 schools at 7-Forks for the competition, with an additional 100 schools from the three counties slated to join the competition this year in Phase V.

Designed as a competition to participating schools, the GIC incorporates infrastructure support for schools in dire situations that meet the threshold for funding. Top performing schools stand a chance to win educational trips, scholarships, water tanks and rain harvesting gutters and pipes.

Through the Foundation, KenGen also refurbished Kiambaa Primary School, Murang’a County, in a unique partnership with the Environment & CDM Department funded through carbon credits.

The GIC project has also expanded to the Coast region by enlisting 30 schools in Mombasa, Kwale and Kilifi counties as part of a wider pilot that will also include West Pokot and Turkana counties.

The GIC incorporates three of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) namely Quality Education (SDG 4), Climate Change (SDG 13), Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6).

Follow us on Twitter through @KenGen_Foundatn and like our Facebook page for more updates.

–Ernest Nyamasyo, Communication Officer

Anthony Owuor Okumu, 26, is an intern at Mama Lucy Hospital, Nairobi.

He works as a Clinical Officer at the Level 5 facility, and is a Bachelor of Science (Clinical Medicine) graduate from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. 

But as simple as this may sound, his career path was no walk in the park.

Anthony, from Kisumu County, is a beneficiary of the KenGen’s Education Scholarships Programme, and a former student at Wangapala Boys High School class of 2012. He was awarded a full university scholarship after attaining the necessary grade and requirements to qualify for a KenGen Education Scholarship.

READ: KenGen Education Scholarship Beneficiaries Graduate First Class.

While medicine may be the career of choice that parents push their children into pursuing for the status and the perks, Anthony knows it is not that easy. Not at all!

Many enroll for the course, but few make it to the end without dropping out or retaking classes. Yet, Anthony made it through the programme, sat for his final exams, and passed in 2018.

The last born in a family of four, Anthony was raised by a single parent in rural Kabondo Division. But in spite of his humble background, Anthony studied hard, beating the rest of his schoolmates to emerge tops in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations 2012 with an A (grade).

“I was both overjoyed and devastated with the results. Due to lack of funds, I had already planned to defer my first year of studies”, remembers Anthony.

However, all this changed when he got a phone call from KenGen that catapulted his life’s trajectory.

“I want to sincerely say that KenGen Foundation gave me the opportunity to successfully achieve what I had called a ‘foregone dream’”, he said during his first visit to KenGen since graduation.

KenGen’s commitment to education has supported over 700 students mainly from marginalized areas around its installations spread across the country. The Company has spent over Kshs. 600 million over the last 14 years in scholarships for secondary school and university students and in schools’ infrastructural developments in many parts of the country.

ALSO READ: 41 Students Awarded KenGen Education Scholarships as Curtains Close on 5th Annual Mentorship.

The mission of the KenGen Education Scholarships programme is to provide education opportunities and improve facilities to enable lifelong enrichment opportunities to students whose humble backgrounds may deny them a chance to realize their dreams.

“Today I can testify that through the philanthropic work of KenGen Foundation, I am able to harvest the fruits of hard work through the attainment of my desired education level”, said Anthony.

Anthony, keen in mentoring the current students enrolled in the Education Scholarship programme, has the following heartfelt message for KenGen and the Foundation:

“I want to say a big THANK YOU to the KenGen Family and the Foundation team for being selfless in serving us while we were in school and for stepping in our shoes in order to understand our needs. Thank you for working tirelessly to ensure we received the comfort necessary for our studies, may God bless you.”

Follow us on Twitter through @KenGen_Foundatn and like our Facebook page for more updates.

–Ernest Nyamasyo, Communication Officer

The dawn of the morning sun to many people is a sign of new beginnings, and a chance to achieve botched dreams of yesterday. To one Henry Ithiami, each ray of light is a stuck reminder of his self-bred responsibility to humanity.  

Having grown up through a series of difficulties as a child and forced to seek hard manual labour at an early age just to get money for basic needs including school uniform, books and pocket money, he knows first-hand how tough it can be for those from poor backgrounds. So while most look up to organisations to help the needy, he and many others have a different idea. 

Today, Mr. Ithiami is the Quality and Safety Manager at the Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen) – East Africa’s largest power producer but that has not made him forget his humble roots. 

Lucky for him, KenGen through its philanthropy arm the KenGen Foundation introduced a model in the year 2015 which gives employees an opportunity to make a difference to the lives of the less fortunate in society through their generous donations. Giving a new meaning to CSR!

This is not far removed from Michael Porter and Mark Kramer’s notion of ‘shared value’, which was introduced to the global corporate scene in the year 2006 through an article, titled “Strategy and Society: The Link Between Competitive Advantage and Corporate Social Responsibility,” whose entry shifted the view of CSR in business for good.

READ: Business Value of KenGen’s CSI

Interestingly, when this idea was being introduced, the discussion around Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) – which many today prefer to replace the ‘R’ with ‘Investment’ – was mostly about the economic benefits of CSR. Around the same time, Mr. Ithiami was working at Sameer Africa, where his resolve to help was crystallised.

He says he was greatly influenced by the then CEO of the tyre company Eric Kimani who started small while still in employment but went on to be one of Kenya’s most influential entrepreneurs and philanthropists. His ventures are today not only profitable but also address some of the most urgent sustainability needs in the society.   

But as the debate about economic benefits of CSR rages on, KenGen has chosen to take the concept of shared values in a more practical way – looking not outwards to the communities but inwards – towards building a sustainable relationship that is a win-win for both the organisation and communities.

READ MORE: Corporate Partnerships Best for Implementing CSI Activities

 “We launched the KenGen Employee Giver Initiative program specifically to turn all employees into philanthropists by making either monetary donations or using their professional skills to donate their time to help address a number of challenges in our society,” said Anthony Igecha, KenGen Foundation’s Ag. Managing Trustee. This was three years ago. 

And as sure as the first African sun hits the geothermal-active fields of Olkaria from the east, so did the team from the KenGen Foundation led by its founding CEO Mike Njeru who has since retired. They arrived in Naivasha one morning to a welcome of over 1,000 employees. This would be the first of a series of meetings with staff to sell the novel concept of the ‘Employee Giver Initiative’.

READ ALSO: New Strategies During Foundation 2018 Team Building

At first the team was met with scepticism as many received this new trend in CSR with disbelief, perhaps because they were being asked to donate part of their salaries towards a worthy cause. But who would blame them for doubting, our society is rife with stories of people being conned in broad daylight in the name of charity!

“We faced some challenges initially but eventually many joined us after we earned their trust,” said Mr. Igecha adding, “Who better to implement an organization’s philanthropic endeavors than the people who work there? After all, employees represent their organizations both at formal forums and at home.”

Today, over 1,000 members of staff like Mr. Ithiami have joined the initiative and are fondly referred to among their peers as ‘Givers’. They commit to a monthly or one-off financial contribution or other voluntary services utilizing their time and skill to create a better society. KenGen Givers assist to spearhead and implement the company’s CSR projects at each power station in line with KenGen’s overall sustainability agenda.

“My childhood was interesting and had to go through challenges that taught me great lessons in life particularly on the benefits of helping, a small act can make a huge difference in how a child’s life turns out to be,” intones Mr. Ithiami adding, “I really enjoyed school despite the hardships, it opened up my mind to a fascinating new world beyond the daily hustles.”

Mr. Ithiami owes his success to a number of people who helped him through school and has decided to join hands with other like-minded employees to give back.

He renders: “Givers helped me during my school days, and even when I was in college, I don’t think I would have made it without the generous support I received.”

Other than making monetary contributions, about 25 of KenGen Givers are committed as mentors for students under the KenGen Education Scholarships program to ensure their good performance and also offer counseling and career guidance.

According to Mr. Ithiami, the one thing that makes the Employee Giver Initiative attractive is the fact that, “You know very well that the resources will be used diligently for stated purposes since the fund is being managed by colleagues who are people you know and trust.”

Thanks to this kitty, KenGen Givers are today able to plant over 6,000 trees every year in various locations around the country including the Nairobi National Park, Western, Eastern, Rift Valley and Coastal regions. According to Cathy Kwena, KenGen Foundation’s Senior Fundraising Officer, the Giver initiative has so far collected close to 10 million shillings in a span of just about three years. This fund has also helped educate eight students through secondary school. 

“There is great joy in knowing that you have touched a life positively through the simple act of sharing,” says Mr. Ithiami. To him, the act of giving, in itself irrespective of the amount is a great source of satisfaction.

His advice to other organization who would want to implement the same model is to do it in an organized manner and allow employees to channel their donations through check-off, standing order and so on as KenGen does. 

“It is easier that way,” he says in a rather reflective tone before his face beams with excitement as he adds, “You can also give in kind including skills and time spent helping others in the community. Giving opens up joy and blessings of being a vessel for uplifting humanity.”

Going forward KenGen intends to enlist up to 70% of its 2,500 strong staff complement into the Employee Giver Initiative as one of its Foundation’s revenue streams towards making it self-reliant. 

Governed by a Board of Trustees, the KenGen Foundation focuses its CSR efforts around three key pillars of sustainability namely; Education, Environment, and Water and Sanitation in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals which aims at ending extreme poverty, providing educational and entrepreneurial opportunities, and addressing climate change.

Frank D. Ochieng, Chief Communications Officer – KenGen.

The KenGen Education Scholarship class of 2018 performed well in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examinations, recording two A – (minus), two B+ (plus), four B (plain), one B- (minus), three C+ (plus) and two C (plain).

James Kariuki Kihiko from Lenana School, and Joshua Ouko from Kisumu Boys both scored A- (minus) to lead the pack that had a total of 16 sponsored candidates.

Margaret Githaiga from St. Francis High School Mang’u and Guantai Samuel Muthaura from Starehe Boys Center both scored B (plus), while Rejoice Mutheu – Alliance Girls, Daniel Muthoka – Alliance Boys, Vivian Wangari – Kyeni Girls and Edwin Omolo – Homabay High School obtained B (plain) as the mean score.

Mary Naneu Shaa from State House Girls was the only one to score a B- (minus), with three other candidates scoring C+ (plus) as the mean score, and two more with C (plain). One of the candidates failed to feature in this year’s KCSE.

READ: One-off KenGen Funding Delivers Top Grades

In 2017, the KenGen Education Scholarship candidates managed to score three A- (minus), three B+ (plus), two B (plain), four B – (minus) and 1 C (plain).

A total 660,204 students sat for the examination countrywide, with 338,628 being male while 321,576 were female, representing 51.29 per cent and 48.71 per cent respectively.

This year, the number of candidates who scored the minimum university entry mean grade of C+ and above is 90,377 or 13.77 per cent of the total number of those who sat the tests.

ALSO READ: Diligence Pays Off for KenGen Education Scholarship Alumnus

In 2017, the number was 70,073 or just 11.38 per cent of the candidates.

The results of 3,427 students who sat the 2018 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations were cancelled after having been found guilty of examination malpractice.

The KenGen Foundation wishes all the Education Scholarships alumni the best of luck as they advance in their studies.

Follow us on Twitter through @KenGen_Foundatn and like our Facebook page for more updates.

–Ernest Nyamasyo, Communication Officer

Four students from Starehe Boys Center who managed to score A- (minus) in the 2018 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education completed their final courtesy of a one-off sponsorship from KenGen PLC. The school recorded four straight As.

The funding was made possible following a commitment made by the Company to the institution to sponsor ten students sitting their final examinations during the 2018 Annual Mentorship symposium.

Anari Boru, Hassan Boru, Ahmed Abdi, and Nickson Karimi all scored A- (minuses), with Josphat Kambua following closely with a B+ (plus). Stephen Kelenge and Steve Odhiambo each had a B (plains) while Anselm George achieved a B- (minus). George Lentapa scored a C+ (plus) while Ayub Kundu got a C- (minus).

The number of candidates attaining the highest overall mean grade A in the KCSE examination rose from 142 in 2017 to 315 in last year’s KCSE examination.

READ: KenGen Education Scholarship Beneficiaries Graduate First Class.

A total of 3,417 candidates scored A– (minus), 8,268 managed B+ (plus) and 16,403 scored B (plain).

Another 26,156 candidates attained B– with some 35,818 scoring C+.

Overall, the number of candidates with minimum university entry qualification of grade C+ and above is 90,377 compared to 70,073 in the 2017 KCSE examination.

Starehe Boys’ Centre, which over the years has been a top performer, is ranked 21 with a performance index of 62.7 and had 256 candidates.

The center, founded in 1959, started out as a rescue center for street children. The institution’s aim of improving the lives of bright but needy students reflects the main objective of the KenGen Education Scholarships programme. The institution has been a KenGen Foundation partner in the implementation of the Education Scholarships Annual Mentorship.

READ MORE: 41 Students Awarded KenGen Education Scholarships as Curtains Close on 5th Annual Mentorship.

Sponsored by KenGen PLC, the KenGen Foundation Annual Mentorship aims to guide the students into becoming more confident in their studies through encouraging the discovery of talents, and nurturing of life skills through a series of lectures and seminars delivered by industry leaders.

Through the KenGen Education Scholarships, KenGen PLC offers learning opportunities for secondary school and university students from communities living around the Company’s power stations.

Currently, the Company is sponsoring 100 secondary school students.

The Foundation wishes the students all the best in their future endeavours.

Kudos KenGen!!

Follow us on Twitter through @KenGen_Foundatn and like our Facebook page for more updates. –Ernest Nyamasyo, Communication Officer

More than 60 Olkaria staff joined hands with the KenGen Foundation to plant 1,000 indigenous tree seedlings at Eburru Forest, Naivasha on 22 November as part of the on-going Employee Giver Initiative engagements in KenGen’s Corporate Social Investment activities. 

Led by Olkaria’s Snr. Environmental Scientist Philip Barasa, the power plant’s Assistant HR Manager Bethwel Ogwayo, and the Foundation’s Ag. Managing Trustee Anthony Igecha, the Givers were joined by staff from the Kenya Forest Service, and the local community in the afforestation exercise.

“As a company, this is a great step in increasing the country’s forest cover even as we continue with geothermal exploration in the area”, said Philip Barasa.

“It is imperative that we safeguard our environment especially Eburru Forest as the company expands its operation in the area”, he added. 

READ: Tree Planting and Grand Send Off for Retirees at Kipevu Power Plant

The Eburru Forest comprises 8,715.3 hectares of prime indigenous forest area contained within the steep hills, deep valleys and rolling foothills of Mount Eburru. It is one of the 22 gazetted forest blocks that comprise the Mau Forests Complex water tower. KenGen has a 2.5 MW geothermal power plant in the area. 

Assistant HR Manager Bethwel Ogwayo proposed that the Givers adopt the forest to ensure continued monitoring and nurturing of the trees.

“An annual event to plant trees in the forest will guarantee that our efforts are sustainable in the long run”, he said. 

READ MORE: Ngong Hills Environmental Cleanup Kicks Off Giving Season

The forest features a broad variety of indigenous tree species, such as African cherry and African pencil cedar, among others. The forest is recognized as a hotspot for birdlife within the greater Mau Forests Complex.  It is home to over 40 species of mammals, including the critically endangered mountain bongo antelope, of which about 10% of its population known to exist in the wild, are thought to survive in the forest.

Interestingly, a lone Ogiek homestead stands close to the 15-kilometer fence put up to protect the 87-kilometre forest and its inhabitants. It is the only home given access to utilize the forest resource for subsistence use.

Ag. Managing Trustee Anthony Igecha thanked the Givers for showing up despite the short notice and assured them of continued engagement in other projects touching on the Foundation’s three pillars of Environment, Education, Water and Sanitation.

Organized by the KenGen Foundation, the Eburru Forest tree planting exercise follows an earlier afforestation done at Kipevu Power Plant and an environmental cleanup carried out at Ngong Hills Power Station. 

Follow us on Twitter through @KenGen_Foundatn and like our Facebook page for more updates. –Ernest Nyamasyo, Communication Officer

For Martin Gitonga Njuki, Dominic Kereya Kaleke, Juliana Njeri Mbugua, and Midan Hussein, being awarded the KenGen Education Scholarships was not only an honor but also a relief.

The four qualified for the university scholarships after attaining straight As in their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examinations, and have done KenGen proud by graduating with First Class Honors from their various universities.

KenGen Foundation’s Acting Managing Trustee Anthony Igecha praised their efforts and said, “The Foundation is proud of their achievements, as this reflects the company’s expectations”.

“Their accomplishments are a testament that the investment made to our scholarship beneficiaries is truly worth it”, he added.

“The four will automatically join the KenGen Alumni Club and engage with the rest in promoting and supporting the Education Pillar of the organization”, the Ag. Managing Trustee further said.

Martin Njuki

Martin Njuki, a native of Mbeere South Sub-county and the second born in a family of six, graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Biochemistry) degree from University of Kabianga.

His academic journey saw him sit the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examinations twice to enable him to proceed to Kathiani Boys High School where he passed the national examinations with a B+, and qualify for the KenGen Education Scholarship.

Currently working as a medical representative in a pharmaceutical firm, Martin shares the following:

“To my loving family at KenGen Foundation, asanteni sana. For real, you’re touching lives, enabling our communities. Thank you for your all-round mentorship. I’m morally shaped courtesy of your investment in me. You helped me out of an otherwise pre-determined path of poverty and ignorance. Asanteni saaaana”.

Juliana Njeri

Juliana Njeri Mbugua is currently pursuing a professional course as an accountant (CPA – Section 6). Juliana, from Naivasha Sub-county, graduated from Meru University of Science and Technology with a bachelor of Commerce degree (Finance), having previously completed her secondary education at Maai Mahiu (Girls’) Secondary School with an A-.

Of the scholarship opportunity from KenGen, Juliana “is grateful to KenGen, through the KenGen Foundation, for the abundant support throughout my university education. I am, and will always remain very grateful for the immeasurable generosity of KenGen. This rare philanthropy has increased my desire to achieve more and contribute positively to my community, our nation and the world at large”.

Dominic Kaleke from Naivasha is an alumnus of the KenGen’s Education Scholarships programme. The former Narok High School student of 2012, he was awarded a full University scholarship after qualifying to join Chuka University.

There, he pursued a degree in Bachelor of Science (biochemistry) of which he graduated with First Class Honors.

The last-born son in a family of eleven has just started his career at Hot Springs Girls High School as a laboratory technologist and tells us the following: “I want to pass my sincere gratitude to KenGen Foundation and to KenGen fraternity for coming into my life and enable me to achieve my academic goals. Surely you have been more than a father and mother in my life. May God bless KenGen Foundation, may God bless KenGen. Once again thank you”.

Mwidani Hassan

Mwidani Hussein Hassan from Kilifi County is a former student at Tudor Day Secondary School, class of 2012. KenGen awarded him a full university scholarship after qualifying to join Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, where he pursued a degree in Bachelor of Science Mechanical Engineering of which he graduated with First Class Honors.

The second born son in a family of two, he was the top student at Tudor Day Secondary School, scoring an A.

He’s currently doing his internship at Kenya Power and Lighting Company, and sends us the following heartfelt thank you note:

“KenGen has and always will be my ‘heaven-sent’ life changer. Coming at a time when my hopes of joining the university, let alone pursuing my dream course, were clouded with uncertainty, the KenGen Foundation not only ensured I got into a lecture room but also had the smoothest campus life any student would hope for. The Foundation catered for all my fees, upkeep finances and psychological needs that enabled me to fully concentrate on my studies and achieve my goals.

I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the KenGen Company, the KenGen Foundation fraternity and more specifically to Sir Anthony Igecha and Ms. Dorcas Arama for their priceless care, guidance, and mentorship. May the Almighty reward them all with goodness“.

The KenGen Education Scholarship program has, since 2005, helped more than 600 bright but needy students from marginalized areas achieve their dream in education. Many have gone on to prominence.

They have made – and continue to make – their marks and achieve excellence in a variety of fields such as engineering, business, arts, and the government.

Our prominent alumni are a diverse group of individuals who cover the whole country, innovating, changing lives, and making history.

Congratulations to the new alumni!

Follow us on Twitter through @KenGen_Foundatn and like our Facebook page for more updates.

–Ernest Nyamasyo, Communication Officer