Kenya Airways has today added its contribution towards the National Famine Relief kitty after its staff and customers raised KSh 13, 538,822.

This amount has been raised through different initiatives announced by the airline last month during the Kenyans for Kenya Corporate Launch, where the airline made a KSh 10M corporate donation towards famine hit areas of Turkana.

Speaking when handing over the cheque on behalf of Kenya Airways staff and customers, Kenya Airways CEO Dr. Titus Naikuni was pleased that Kenya Airways staff and customers had been actively involved in raising funds towards alleviating Famine in Northern Kenya.

“Our customers and staff have been committed in raising these funds through, loose change collection onboard, leave encashment, salary deductions, I am grateful to the customers and staff who have contributed towards this worthy cause,” said Dr. Naikuni.

The cash donation that is part of the Kenya Airways overall contribution towards the Famine relief operations has seen staff contribute KSh 4.49M in Salary deductions, leave encashment and cash donations while the company donated KSh 8.98M as per the KSh 2/- for every KSh1/- donated by staff.

Kenya Airways customers also donated loose change totaling to KSh 268,276 through the ‘Change makes Change Campaign,’ while the Flying Blue passengers donated miles worth KSh 67,500.

Other non monetary initiative includes the donation of Cargo space to Kenya Red Cross to transport donations from destinations that the airline flies to in Europe and Africa. So far Kenya Airways has used cargo space worth KSh 9M in this initiative.

In addition to the Corporate donation of KSh 10M, Kenya Airways initiatives have so far raised well over KSh 32,488,930 towards the Kenyans for Kenya initiative.

Kenya Red Cross Secretary General Mr. Abbas Gullet who collected the cheque on behalf of his organization was grateful to Kenya Airways for the donation and for the interest the organization has expressed in laying out mid to long term goals for the Turkana region to alleviate the perennial famine in that region.

Kenya Airways has pledged in the next two financial years to contribute 60% of its CSR budget to putting in place sustainable measures that will ensure access to safe water for residents of drought stricken areas specifically in Turkana County.

The Kenyans for Kenya initiative has raised close to KSh 700,000,000 from across the board, with the aim of helping meet the immediate needs of those affected.