By Njeri Irungu.
Jumbo Chem Kenya Limited has marked its 15th anniversary by launching a major Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) project at Kasunguni Secondary School aimed at improving learning conditions for more than 400 students.
The company officially unveiled the project on May 16, 2026, after completing a full-scale insulation of the school’s classrooms, dormitories and dining hall using its Jumbolene® roof insulation system.
According to the company, the initiative was designed to address extreme temperatures that had affected students and teachers at the school for years.
Before the intervention, indoor temperatures in the school’s iron-sheet structures reportedly rose above 34 degrees Celsius during the day and dropped to nearly 14 degrees Celsius at night, creating uncomfortable learning and sleeping conditions.
Jumbo Chem said the insulation has reduced indoor temperatures by up to 10 degrees Celsius during peak daytime hours at no cost to the school or the Makueni County Government.
Speaking during the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Dennis Awori said the company chose to celebrate its milestone by investing in communities instead of holding a corporate gala.
“As a corporate, we have a responsibility to the communities we operate within, and our ESG goals make that responsibility concrete,” said Awori.
“Fifteen years of business in Kenya means fifteen years of drawing from Kenyan communities. Kasunguni Secondary School is our way of giving something meaningful back to the community,” he added.
Awori noted that the company hoped the project would create long-term educational and social benefits for students in the region.
“Our hope is simple: that students and teachers feel a tangible, lasting difference. When a child in Makueni gets a better education, that benefit ripples outward to their family, their community, and Kenya’s future,” he said.
The event brought together representatives from the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and county government officials.
Jumbo Chem leadership also challenged private sector players to embrace community-focused development through ESG programmes.
“Sustainable business must be rooted in community,” Awori said. “The ‘S’ in ESG is perhaps the most immediate opportunity any business has to create visible change.”
