Our Commitment

Dhamana Guarantee Company Limited provides credit guarantees that support infrastructure-related investments financed through long-term local currency debt across East Africa. We believe that responsible, profitable investment goes hand in hand with strong health, safety, environmental and social (HSES) performance.

This Policy sets out how we manage HSES risk across the projects and clients in our guarantee portfolio, and the standards we expect our partners to meet.

Standards We Apply

In appraising and supporting investments, we are guided by and require compliance with:

• Kenyan health, safety, environmental and labour laws

• IFC Environmental and Social Performance Standards

• World Bank Group Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines and relevant sector guidance

• The African Development Bank's Integrated Safeguards System

• ILO Fundamental Conventions on Labour and Working Conditions

• The UN Global Compact principles

• The Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights

Environmental Commitments

We work to avoid, or where unavoidable minimise, harm to the environment, and to promote sustainable resource use and biodiversity conservation across our portfolio. Depending on the level of risk involved, we require the businesses we support to:

• Assess and manage physical climate risks and support climate change mitigation and adaptation

• Promote resource efficiency and pollution prevention

• Monitor and limit emissions, waste, effluent and noise

• Avoid or reduce impacts on biodiversity and the ecosystems communities rely on

• Set annual environmental goals and report on progress

Social and Safeguarding Commitments

We are committed to conducting business ethically and in full respect of human rights for workers, clients, contractors and the communities connected to the projects we support. We take a zero-tolerance approach to forced labour, child labour, and gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH), and expect the same from our clients and their supply chains.

Depending on the level of risk involved, we require the businesses we support to:

• Provide clear, documented employment terms, including fair pay and reasonable working hours

• Maintain safe and sanitary working conditions

• Provide safeguarding training to employees

• Manage community health, safety and security risks, including GBVH risk

• Avoid or minimise displacement of communities, and restore livelihoods where it occurs

• Engage meaningfully with affected communities, including women, marginalised groups and people with disabilities

• Maintain an accessible grievance mechanism and a confidential whistleblowing channel with survivor-support provisions

Health and Safety Commitments

We prioritise the health and safety of employees, contractors, and everyone connected to our portfolio. We expect the businesses we support to work toward zero incidents by:

• Providing a safe and healthy working environment

• Delivering regular health and safety training

• Maintaining a risk register and effective hazard management systems

• Having emergency response and crisis management plans in place

• Investigating and learning from incidents, and reporting performance regularly

Grievances and Whistleblowing

We encourage anyone (employee, contractor, community member, or other stakeholder) to speak up if they suspect wrongdoing or misconduct connected to our business or the projects we support. We have zero tolerance for retaliation against anyone who raises a concern in good faith.