470 operators of restaurants and bars in Kenya have so far registered for the Sh330 million Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL) ‘Raise the Bar’ initiative.

The initiative seeks to assist pubs and eateries recover from Coronavirus disruptions and targets 11,000 outlets with practical equipment to meet basic Covid-19 mitigation measures.

Among virus mitigation measures the programme targets include social distancing and hand hygiene to help the establishments reopen and operate in a safe and healthy environment.

‘Raise the Bar’, which was officially rolled out in December, also involves training of personnel to ensure they are well equipped to implement the Coronavirus safety standards demanded.

Government’s virus containment measures continue to affect nightclubs and restaurants, including 10pm-4am curfew and limitations on meetings and gatherings in private and public.

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KBL Acting Sales Director Joel Kamau said the brewery expects the number of applications for the initiative to rise as the deadline nears, assuring applicants of transparency in the process.

“We expect the number of applications to increase as the deadline nears. So far, we have received 470 applications, and we encourage more outlets to apply for the program to avoid being left out. The program is very transparent, and no fees are charged for an outlet to be selected,” Kamau said.

He added that the initiative by KBL will provide a much-needed boost to eating and entertainment outlets in the wake of the economic hurdles posed by the Covid-19 crisis.

“Ours is to stand with the businesses and help them get back on their feet. 2020 was a really tough year for many businesses, and hospitality was one of the hardest hit. Now with business operations resuming, we want to ensure that the outlets are well prepared to operate safely and also provide confidence to the customers,” he added.

The programme is part of Diageo’s Sh11 billion global fund to support bars, pubs and restaurants bounce back after months of disruption due to the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Interested outlets can apply for the program through www.diageobaracademy.com or by contacting their local KBL sales representative ahead of the February 12, 2021 deadline.