The recent drought witnessed country-wide and the uncharacteristic delay in the onset of long rains is a stark reminder to us, of the potential negative impact of human activity on our environment and the dire need for us to protect our delicate ecosystems. ELDOWAS recognizes this need to protect the environment and in particular – water catchment areas, reservoirs and river courses need to be jealously guarded and renewed not only for the continued sustenance of the company’s water sources, but more importantly, in order to sustain livelihoods of the current and future generations. This is with regard to livelihoods of human beings just as much as of other living organisms that have an equal right to exist and thrive. We derive economic, social and other environmental benefits from our ecosystem in order to survive. If we fail to protect and conserve this ecosystem, not only do we put our livelihoods and that of other living beings at serious risk of decimation, but we endanger the survival of future generations as well. Left unchecked human activity can, in actual fact, render our planet uninhabitable. It is for this very reason that ELDOWAS has developed well established frameworks for environmental and water conservation, sanitation as well as quality assurance measures wholly purposed at ensuring that all our efforts and activities are proactively geared towards a sustainable environment. In the same spirit, the company strives to ensure that all activities relating to waste water disposal by consumers of its services strictly adhere to the required effluent standards. Very soon the company will be mandated by the County Government of Uasin Gishu, its principal shareholder, with the responsibility of the management of solid waste within the County. Our conviction as ELDOWAS will be to ensure efficient collection and environmentally safe disposal of this solid waste to the extent of considering “waste to energy” (WTE) mechanisms that will convert solid waste to “clean” energy.
The ELDOWAS Board, Management and Staff fully support environmental conservation efforts. In this regard, the company has established a vibrant forest cover regeneration scheme involving the setting up of a well managed tree nursery with about 250,000 seedlings which provides seedlings for the company’s conservation programmes including a well established forest of close to 100,000 trees at our waste water treatment plant in Kipkenyo. This scheme entails reforestation of water catchment areas, water reservoirs, river courses, company owned land as well as other designated areas in collaboration with other stakeholders. These stakeholders include the County Government of Uasin Gishu, other institutions such as schools, the Kenya Forest Services (KFS), the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), local communities living around the water catchment areas and water courses, NGO’s, CBO’s as well as other agencies involved in environmental conservation activities. Company staff are often also encouraged to participate in environmental conservation activities like tree planting and clean-up exercises. The company has also continuously supported noble causes like the Eldoret City Marathon, a major annual event themed “Climate Action” and whose aim is to create awareness on the need to conserve the environment. This support is done through participation and corporate sponsorship as well as in providing clean drinking water to all the participants.
