KAMPALA: Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL) on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, officially handed over a kitchen facility to traders in the Portbell shopping centre and a modern ablution block for residents of Kamwanyi village both in Luzira.
The ablution block will be serving approximately 2,000 people in the Kamwanyi community while the kitchen has a capacity of 24 stoves, 24 cabinets and 24 concrete slabs. Construction of these facilities commenced in May 2022.
Uganda Breweries’ society 2030 sustainability action plan charts aim toward a sustainable and inclusive world by 2030, creating a purpose-driven business. Part of the initiatives under the action is ‘Water of Life,’ that covers Uganda Breweries’ work in replenishing and enhancing access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in communities in Uganda.
The ablution facility that aims at improving access to water and sanitation among the residents of Kamwanyi contains toilets with water supply, a hand washing area as well as a bathroom that the community members will readily access 24/7. It comprises of a urinal section, 2 male toilets, 1 bathroom, 1 male seat-toilet for disabled persons, 2 female toilets, 1 bathroom and lastly 1 female seat-toilet for disabled persons.
Speaking during the commissioning of the ablution block, Uganda Breweries Supply Chain Director, Alfred Balikagira expressed the brewery’s pleasure and commitment to continue giving back to various communities in different parts of Uganda that are in dire need of proper toilets and bathrooms.
“As a good corporate citizen, we always find ways to share value and benefits with the communities in which we operate,” Balikagira said. “After engaging with the leaders here and the community at large, we established a need to improve access to clean water and sanitation, and we decided to fund it.”
The chief guest Hon. Minsa Kabanda, Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, thanked Uganda Breweries for the continuous support in improving the levels of sanitation in various areas around the suburbs of Kampala and beyond. “We laud UBL for demonstrating consistent progress in building thriving communities through the sustainability and corporate social responsibility work,” Kabanda said.
She urged traders at the market to ensure that they take good care of the new kitchen facility they have acquired and also strive to make sure that it remains clean. “People want to eat food that has been cooked from a modern and clean kitchen. It is therefore our responsibility as the traders to ensure that you maintain good hygiene of the kitchen facility as well as the market in general. I also urge the community members that received the toilet facility to maintain good hygiene standards in order to avoid outbreak of diseases,” Kabanda added.
Balikagira thanked the leadership from the district local government and Kampala metropolitan ministry that always helps them in identifying the communities in need. He also thanked the local leaders of the area who engaged their communities to form ‘User Committees’ that consist of at least 50% representation of women, whose role is to support project implementation and, importantly, sustainably manage the project after it has been handed over.
“I must say that it is always a joy for us as Uganda Breweries to bring such impact like access to safe and clean water, sanitation and hygiene in the city. These developments are aligned with our Society 2030 goals which partly is to deliver significantly improved water availability and quality in our local communities. I also thank the local leadership in this area for giving their time to serve the people in this community and also working closely with the team from Uganda Breweries. We look forward to more of these partnerships in the future,” Balikagira added.
