Nile breweries Limited, a beer company based in Buikwe District has donated 300 oxygen cylinders worthy 333 million to 17 districts and they will be distributed to only major hospitals.
These donations were received by the Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja at her office premises in Kampala yesterday
The cylinders are to be distributed across the country covering all regions: Acholi, Ankole, Buganda, Bukedi, Bunyoro, Busoga, Karamoja,Kigezi, Lango, Sebei-Elgon, Teso, Tooro, and West Nile. These regions are represented by districts:Gulu, Mbarara, Kampala, Masaka, Lugazi, Tororo, Masindi , Jinja, Iganga , Moroto, Kabale, Lira, Kapchorwa, Mbale, Soroti , Kabarole, and Arua.
Prime Minister Nabbanja said the donation, and NBL’s continued support and contribution to Uganda, will make a real difference to the exceptionally difficult Covid-19 situation in the country. Our thanks go to NBL, to their parent company AB InBev, and to the individuals and teams that made this possible,” she said.
NBL has long been a valuable pillar of the Ugandan economy, contributing nearly Shs 400 billion to our GDP each year, and supporting approximately 40, 000 formal and informal jobs.
Previously Nile Breweries donated 25,000kg of maize meal to those threatened by food insecurity during the first lockdown; 7,900 litres of fuel to Covid-19 task forces of districts, Mbarara, Jinja, Kampala and Buikwe, and medical equipment valued at Shs 60 million to Mulago Hospital Intensive Care Unit.
Onapito Ekomoloit, the Legal and Corporate Affairs director at NBL said the pandemic has shown us that the only way to build a better tomorrow is by working together.
Other Factories in Buikwe District have also donated hospital beds, relief food and Oxygen in a bid to boost their efforts against Covid-19.
These include Tembo steels in Lugazi Municipality which donated 100 hospital beds and 100 mattresses and Lugazi Sugar Factory which donated 10 tonnes of maize flour one tonne of sugar to Buikwe district Task Force.
These where received by Ms Dianah Mutasingwa, the State Minister in the Office of the Vice President and Woman Member of Parliament for Buikwe district who later handed them to the district task force.
Other factories that donated relief food include; Modern distillers which donated 1,000 liters of Hand Sanitizer, Yogi Steels donated one tonne of maize flour and East African packaging which donated two tonnes of maize flour.
Ms Mutasingwa said that she moved from factory to factory mobiling for support which would help her people who were reportedly facing challenges amid the 42-day lockdown announced by President Museveni last month.