Kenyan betting company Betika has donated Ksh. 27 million towards various initiatives geared towards combating the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ksh. 6 Million of the funds will go directly to the private sector-led Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund to support the health sector and healthcare providers as they lead the fight against the virus.
The campaign dubbed Betika Na Community Initiative, will see donations to this fund be used to purchase health supplies and equipment such as masks, nasal swabs and testing kits. Low income earners in informal settlement will continue to be sensitized through various Betika channels on how to prevent spread of Coronavirus.
In addition Betika has donated to the sports fraternity with Ksh. 20 Million to the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage through Cabinet Secretary. CS Amina Mohamed will receive Ksh. 15 Million to help cushion the sports industry in these tough times.
An additional Kshs. 5 Million will be directly sent to Betika National Super League and Kenya Premier league football players, with the support of FKF, to help them wade through the uncertain times that all Kenyans are going through. The Ksh. 5M cash donation will support over 1,050 football players across the country who will receive funds directly in their mobile wallets from Betika to support them and their families.
Betika has also donated Ksh. 1M to 16 students at the Chandaria Business Innovation and Incubation Centre (Chandaria-BIIC), based at Kenyatta University. The 16 students recently made the national limelight when they developed a locally made ventilator prototype which could be a gamechanger in the fight against corona virus.
Speaking during the handover, Mr John Mbatiah, the firm’s Business Head said, “We are dealing with an extraordinary crisis that requires all of us as Kenyans to take precautionary measures as guided by the Ministry of Health and also provide support to the men and women of this great country to be able to manage better the tough times they are going through. We share in CS Amina’s call to help the sports men and women during these tough times which is at the very core of everything we are about. We believe as the leading betting firm in Kenya, it is our mandate that we support our men and women during this tough period to be able to provide for their families. We are deeply rooted in the local communities and by giving our support to the Kenyan Government relief fund, Ministry of Sports and other Sports organizations, we have the potential to build a stronger response capacity so that our communities are better equipped to face the outbreak’’.