Godec assures Kenya of support in health

United States Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec has reiterated that his country will continue to support health programmes in Kenya.

Mr Godec observed that the two countries have for a long time partnered in such programmes to save lives of vulnerable people.

Speaking Thursday when he commissioned the Sh10 billion Equatorial fortified foods processor in Maragua, Murang’a County, the envoy said his country has started funding provision of nutritious foods to HIV-positive people and malnourished children.

Mr Godec noted that the HIV/Aids menace can be dealt well by providing the victims with nutritious food to boost their health.

“Aids is still a scourge in Kenya, Africa and the world. As the World Aids Day is marked, we still want to remember all the progress we made as we commit to do what needs to be done to end HIV/Aids forever,” he said.

He at the same time said the food processor is impacting livelihoods of thousands of farmers who supply the company with maize, sorghum and soy beans from various regions.

He said the US government, through the United States Agency for International Development, had acquired 4,500 metric tonnes of fortified blended flour from the factory.

“It will be distributed to 1,000 health centres across the 47 counties feeding 170,000 malnutritioned people, out of which 90,000 are kids,” said the envoy.

Mr Godec hailed the cooperation between Kenya and the US, adding that the two countries will continue to work together on many partnerships of economic growth, trade and development, democracy, education, health care and security to counter violent extremism.

Equatorial nut processors group of company chairman Peter Munga said they identified the challenge of malnutrition both in Kenya and the neighbouring countries, which triggered the manufacturing of fortified foods.