Camellia PLC Governance changes (8520D)
November 02 2020 - 2:15AM
UK Regulatory
TIDMCAM
RNS Number : 8520D
Camellia PLC
02 November 2020
2 November 2020
Camellia Plc
Governance changes
Following allegations of serious human rights abuses at Kakuzi
Plc in Kenya, Camellia has been reviewing its governance and
safeguarding oversight arrangements and is setting up a
Safeguarding and Stewardship Committee of Camellia's Board of
Directors.
Camellia is also pushing the Boards of the companies we invest
in to look at their own procedures, and where necessary make
operational changes.
Camellia welcomes the news that Kakuzi has taken further steps
to upgrade its governance and safeguarding measures. Details are
set out in Kakuzi's announcement which is reproduced below. They
include establishing an Independent Human Rights Advisory Committee
and setting up an Operational-level Grievance Mechanism in line
with UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
These are important steps forward so that local communities,
Kakuzi, and all those who depend upon it for their livelihoods can
thrive together in the years to come.
Camellia will continue to do all it can to ensure that companies
it invests in operate to the highest standards of governance.
Enquiries
Camellia Plc 01622 746655
Tom Franks, CEO
Susan Walker, CFO
Panmure Gordon 020 7886 2500
Nominated Adviser and Broker
Emma Earl
Erik Anderson
Maitland/AMO
PR
William Clutterbuck 07785 292617
KAKUZI PLC
Board changes, establishment of Independent Human Rights
Advisory Committee to the Board and of an Operational-level
Grievance Mechanism
Board changes
The Board of Kakuzi Plc is pleased to announce that Nicholas
Nganga has been appointed Chairman of the Board with immediate
effect. He takes over from Graham Mclean who steps down from the
role but will remain a non-executive Director. Among his other
roles, Nicholas Nganga was Chairman of Safaricom, Kenya's leading
telecoms operator, from 2007 until 2020, and is current Chairman of
Car & General Kenya Limited and G4S Security.
Dr John Kibunga Kimani has been appointed to the Board of Kakuzi
Plc as a non-executive Director with effect from 1 November 2020.
Dr John Kimani has extensive experience in the agricultural sector
(public and private) including planning, development and
administration of small-holder agricultural extension programmes at
District level, developing and managing small-holder irrigation
projects and preparing long-range plans for land and water
resources across Kenya. Notably he led the planning team in the
Tana and Athi River basins embracing six districts of what were
Central, Eastern and Coast Provinces of Kenya. He has worked with
Government agricultural projects aided by the World Bank, SNV of
the Netherlands, JICA of Japan, DANIDA of Denmark and GTZ of
Germany.
In addition to being a fellow of the Economic Development
Institute of the World Bank, Dr John Kimani has a Bsc in
Agriculture (Makerere University College, Uganda); an Msc in
Agricultural Economics (Reading University, U.K) and a Phd in
Development Studies, Economics and Socio-anthropology (University
of Sussex, U.K). Dr John Kimani is a member of the Agricultural
Society of Kenya as well as a member of the Avocado Exporters
Association of Kenya.
In addition to the above, the Board agreed on the following:
Independent Human Rights Advisory Committee
To enhance governance structures within Kakuzi Plc, the Board is
establishing an Independent Human Rights Advisory Committee
(IHRAC). The IHRAC will comprise experienced and distinguished
individuals drawn from the human rights sector locally and
internationally, and representatives of our stakeholders. Andrew
Ndegwa Njoroge, a non-executive independent director of Kakuzi plc,
will sit on the IHRAC.
Operational-level Grievance Mechanism
The Board is also upgrading Kakuzi's current alternative dispute
resolution process by setting up a full Operational-level Grievance
Mechanism (OGM), as defined by the UN Guiding Principles on
Business and Human Rights. This will enable members of the
community to have their grievances heard and resolved quickly,
impartially and in accordance with internationally recognized best
practices. It will also ensure that appropriate action is taken to
deal with anyone who fails to live up to the standards Kakuzi Plc
expects of its employees.
Nick Nganga, Chairman of Kakuzi Plc , said:
"Kakuzi sells its produce both locally and across the world. We
must always ensure our corporate policies and human rights
processes evolve to accommodate feedback and input from our
employees, communities and other stakeholders, wherever they are
based.
The changes and initiatives announced by the Board today are
important steps in this regard. Dr Kimani will be a valuable
addition to the Kakuzi Board. He knows Kakuzi well having grown up
on the farm. He has an impressive and well-respected track record
in the agricultural sector of this country which he built up
working in private and public sector enterprises and projects.
"The Independent Human Rights Advisory Committee and the
Operational-level Grievance Mechanism are significant enhancements
to Kakuzi's governance processes. They underscore our determination
to take a 'belt and braces' approach to human rights."
31(st) October 2020
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