Owners, operators, and staff of 1,312 bars and eateries in Kenya have been trained on Covid-19 protocols so far through Raising the Bar with Tusker as the country eyes full economic recovery.

Through a program dubbed ‘Raising the Bar with Tusker’, operators of bars and eateries in Kenya are trained on Covid-19 measures to help the hospitality industry operate safely.

The training has been conducted in Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, Taita Taveta, Makueni, Nyeri, Murang’a, Kiambu, Samburu, Nakuru, Kericho, and Baringo counties.

The programme officially rolled out in December last year is a Shs330 million initiative funded by Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL) to support bars and eateries to recover from adverse effects of Covid-19.

Speaking in Mweiga, Nyeri County, AMREF Programs Manager Lenah Kanyagi said AMREF was working alongside KBL ensure bars and eateries become vibrant and safe workplaces.

“We have a target to conduct this training in more than 10,000 bars and eateries establishments to make sure that businesses continue with their operations as usual. While doing this, we also want to make sure that we mitigate the spread of the disease not only in these workplaces but also in our homes,” Kanyagi said.

Kieni West Sub-County Health Officer Edwin Ndegwa said the training is beneficial to hospitality industry players to overcome hurdles posed by Covid-19 on the path to economic recovery.

“Since the advent of Covid-19 pandemic, our businesses were adversely affected. With this partnership by our Government, KBL, and community health volunteers, we are bouncing back to a better business environment,” said Ndegwa.

The ‘Raising the Bar’ program will provide a shot in the hospitality industry's arm, which has more than 40,0000 retailers employing more than 300,000 people.