China Road and Bridge Corporation (Kenya) on Tuesday delivered relief supplies to families hugely affected by the ongoing floods in Nairobi’s Mathare area.
Company executives led by Liu Chenghui, the Deputy General Manager of CRBC Kenya, visited the area and donated food items and other daily supplies to residents at an event held at the MCEDO Beijing school grounds. Liu and his team delivered bags of sugar, maize flour, cooking oil, blankets, and mineral water, among others, valued at Ksh. 2.5 Million.
“A friend in need is a friend indeed. Today I came here with a heavy heart because the school is affected by the flood. I wish to convey our deepest sympathies to all teachers and students,” he said
He said CRBC Kenya, a member of the Kenya China Economic and Trade Association (KCETA), resolved to donate to help ease the burden and pain felt by families badly hit by the floods.
Located in Kenya’s capital, Mathare, an informal settlement, is among areas that have borne the brunt of the deluge resulting from persistent rains witnessed in several parts of the country over the last few days. Besides deaths, the destruction caused by the floods has seen the number of those displaced continue to rise.
“As the chairing company of KCETA, we have responded immediately and actively organized some donations. We hope that this donation can alleviate the losses caused by floods to a certain extent,” he said
“More importantly, through this donation, we are appealing to more Chinese enterprises in Kenya to participate and fight against the disaster,” the CRBC Kenya’s top official added
He disclosed that the company will be keenly monitoring the flood situation with a view to making necessary interventions to help Kenyans in dire need of assistance.
Liu noted that as a representative of Chinese enterprises in Kenya, CRBC has been actively participating in various corporate social responsibilities activities, and pointed out that the current crisis will attract an even greater helping hand from the company.
Benedict Kiage, the director of the school, said the donations could not have come at a better time. He disclosed that most of the displaced families are putting up in temporary camps, community halls, churches, and schools and require so much support.
“This is a Chinese company that has decided to respond to the plight of the floods that are affecting the Mathare slums. The foodstuff and blankets will help most of the children whose houses have been swept away by the floods,” he said
“I urge other well-wishers to come and support the Mathare people because it is really devastating. Some have been killed and some of the bodies have been retrieved from the river,” added Kiage
The Kenya China Economic and Trade Association (KCETA) and the Chinese Embassy in Kenya have been supporting residents of the area through the school, since inception.
CRBC has undertaken numerous renowned projects in the country whose successful implementation has greatly improved Kenya’s infrastructure landscape, further enhanced the friendship between Beijing and Nairobi, and further promoted the development of economic and trade relations between the two countries.
Some of the projects undertaken by the company since it entered the Kenyan market in 1984 include; 45 road projects with a total mileage of more than 2,200 kilometers, 4 port projects, 3 inland port projects, 2 standard gauge railway projects, 5 meter-gauge railway projects, and 4 municipal projects and one affordable housing construction project, among others.
“We have been committed to the construction of large-scale infrastructure including roads, bridges, ports, and railways. We are Kenya’s most trustworthy partner in the infrastructure field,” said CRBC Kenya’s Liu Chenghui
