Base donates water tanks and sanitizers to combat Coronavirus

In light of the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) across Kenya, mining firm Base Titanium has donated water tanks together with handwashing detergent to the Kwale County Government to help stop the spread of the virus in the county.
According to Base Community Programmes Superintendent Mwanaharusi Khamis the mining company has donated 16, 3,000-litre water tanks which will be placed at various strategic areas across Kwale County.
“This is a partnership between Base Titanium, the County and the national governments where we want to set up watering points that will help residents of Kwale to have access to areas where they will be able to wash their hands and have constant water supply,” said Khamis.
“We know that a lot of areas in Kwale especially in markets and busy areas such as bus parks lack watering points and this is why we want to put the tanks in those areas,” she said.
She spoke on Sunday at the Ukunda showground where the Kwale County Government has relocated the Ukunda food market from Ibiza to the showground to provide enough space for businesses to practice social distance while selling their goods.
Khamis said Base Titanium will also be providing five villages that border the Kwale mine site in Maumba with trucked water both for domestic use and also help them have clean water to wash their hands.
She said plans were also underway to provide water tanks in Likoni sub county of Mombasa where Base Titanium has its footprints, through the Base Port facility which will also help address water shortfalls in the sub-county and enhance hand washing hygiene which is seen as the primary means of fighting the spread of the virus.
She also said the mining firm will soon be providing relief food for vulnerable groups in Kwale as the novel coronavirus continues to rock the world and the nation as a whole.
In the meantime, Base through its Community Health Volunteers will sponsor fumigation programmes in Kwale as support towards the fight against the coronavirus.
Diani Municipal Manager Hamisi Mwandaro who had accompanied Base staff including Base Community Manager Pius Kassim and Base Titanium Government Relations Superintendent Ali Masemo on behalf of the County Government thanked Base Titanium for their noble initiative and encouraged other companies to also show support towards fighting the spread of the virus.
“We are delighted by this initiative. As a municipality and county, we have been taking initiatives to break the chain of spreading the coronavirus. That is why we have moved the market from Ibiza to the showground where there is enough space to practice social distance,” said Mwandaro.
“We have also told the business owners to have sanitisers and hand washing bays but the challenge has been water. We believe with this partnership and provision of constant water our business people will be able to practice hygiene in their premises,” said Mwandaro.
He said Diani township being a tourism hub, the coronavirus had affected the livelihood of many people who depend on the tourism sector for their daily activities.
By Hussein Abdullahi