Kirinyaga residents have been urged to embrace high standards of cleanliness within their homes, businesses, and surroundings in a bid to achieve a healthy community.
Elizabeth Warui, the acting Chief Executive Officer of Bingwa Sacco, said a clean environment helps to keep at bay bouts of diseases that emanate from a filthy and neglected environment.
Speaking when she led the company’s staff in a day-long communal clean-up project in Kerugoya town and its outskirts, Warui said that exposure to unclean environments often hampers individual progression and consequently a struggling economy, as everyone is a vibrant contributor to a growing economy.
The participants, who partnered with Kirinyaga County staff from the environment department, cleaned Kerugoya town market, Kerugoya streets, and the nearby residential areas of Miringa-iri, Kimuri, Saiti, and Mukinduri.
“One way of growing the economy is by promoting a healthy community and seeing to it that we create a clean environment for our staff and the people working within our surroundings. We don’t want a scenario where medication is the order of the day in situations we can control and prevent,” she said.
Warui lauded the local county government for its efforts in consistently keeping the local towns clean and collecting trash on time. She added that the county’s good work in achieving a clean environment challenged them to join the course and become participants in the impressive job.
“Our participation was one way of appreciating their work and encouraging them to continue with the impressive work of keeping our environment clean. We are elated and satisfied with the thoroughness with which they do their work, and this says a lot that the county indeed prioritises the health of our people,” she added.
Joseph Murimi, the Sacco’s Head of Operations, echoed her sentiment, saying their involvement was one of the ways of recognising and motivating the county workers.
“I arrive in town at seven, and I find the town sparkling clean. This says that the relevant county workers take their job seriously and are up to the task. So in the spirit of appreciating their work, we decided to join in to show our support,” he added.
Murimi said the company also partners with other stakeholders in various activities, such as helping the less fortunate in society and people living with various forms of disability, among other projects, as part of their corporate social responsibilities.
He acknowledged that the market’s users, both sellers and buyers, are part of their customer base and require a clean environment for their daily activities.
Kerugoya locals lauded the company’s move, saying proper environmental management is a collective responsibility and not a preserve of the government’s role.
“We need to be disciplined while disposing of trash so as to continue keeping the environment clean. Let us not dispose of the dirt anywhere but instead use the provided dustbins so as to enable ease in its collection,” one of the locals said.
By Mutai Kipngetich
