Local agri-business firm Kakuzi Public Limited Company (PLC) has confirmed the appointment of Gina Din-Kariuki to its Independent Human Rights Advisory Committee (IHRAC).
“The Board of Kakuzi Plc is pleased to announce the entry of Din-Kariuki to the Independent Human Rights Advisory Committee. Her entry, following an in-depth selection process, now completes the constitution of the five-member committee, which provides independent advice on human rights to the Board,” said Kakuzi’s Managing Director Mr. Chris Flowers.
Din-Kariuki, a respected and leading businesswoman, philanthropist, and champion of Women’s rights, will be the latest committee member to join the IHRAC which is chaired by former Attorney General Prof. Githu Muigai.
Prof Muigai while welcoming Din-Kariuki to the IHRAC said that the team is delighted to have her as a member of the Committee.
“She brings a wealth of experience in corporate governance and social responsibility and will strengthen Kakuzi’s effort to remain at the forefront of responsible business practices,” Prof. Muigai said.
Gina Din-Kariuki, while commenting on her appointment said that she is pleased to join the Kakuzi IHRAC as part of a personal commitment to advance human rights excellence.
“I am confident that the IHRAC team will serve for the betterment of the organization and its stakeholders as well as to demonstrate to a wider audience how integrating human rights into a business environment can be practically and credibly achieved,” Din-Kariuki said, adding that Kakuzi is making excellent progress by upholding global operating standards.
She joins other members of the committee drawn from diverse professional fields including former Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) Board Member Grace Madoka, former Finlays Kenya Legal and HR Director Dr. Brenda Achieng, and Kakuzi PLC Non-Executive Independent Director Andrew Ndegwa.
Both Madoka and Dr. Achieng are Advocates of the High Court of Kenya and have extensive corporate governance experience, while Ndegwa is a Chartered Accountant.
Kakuzi PLC becomes the first corporate organization in Sub Sahara Africa to constitute and establish such an independent advisory panel benchmarked against the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights through the naming of the Committee.
Also Read:
- Former AG Githu Muigai to chair Kukuzi’s Independent Human rights Committee
- Kakuzi unveils champions to steer its Sexual awareness programme
- Kakuzi records 3% drop in HY results
On August 10 this year, Kakuzi appointed former Attorney General Professor Githu Muigai to chair its IHRAC.
Other members of the committee include former Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) Board, Member Grace Madoka, former Finlay’s Kenya Legal and HR Director Dr. Brenda Achieng, and Kakuzi Plc non-executive independent director Andrew Ndegwa with another member set to be announced soon.
He urged other local companies to emulate it, as such committees will help to advance human rights in corporate environments.
The members of the IHRAC’s who have been appointed to the firm’s board will advise and review Kakuzi’s action points to ensure that the firm remains at the leading edge of this accountability programme.
The UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights recently released an assessment of the first ten years of UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights implementation by States and businesses, showing significant progress over the first decade.
The assessment indicated that most companies had shown their commitment to respect human rights while legislation in Europe made respect for human rights and the environment a mandatory requirement for businesses.
The UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights is calling on all States to implement the Guiding Principles as a top governance and policy priority by ensuring that all businesses, including small and medium-sized enterprises respect human rights and make it part of their corporate culture.
In December this year, the Working Group will launch a roadmap for implementation over the next decade.
Some of the institutions that have adopted the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights are FIFA, Global Chemicals manufacturer BASF SE and Adidas among others.
