Impact is not what is promised under a tent. It is what remains when the banners come down.
By Edward Githae
The borehole that never came
In 2022, residents of Kajiado County gathered beneath banners and bright tents as a global beverage brand launched a new “Water for All” initiative. The company pledged a solar-powered borehole, promising relief from the six-kilometre daily trek women and children made to collect water.
Three years later, there is no water. The only trace of the project is a rusting metal plaque and a faded banner that still reads “Coming Soon.”
“They came with cameras and left with promises,” says Grace Naserian, a local teacher. “Our lives haven’t changed – only their Instagram feed.”
The numbers behind the narrative
According to a 2024 study by CSR Reporters Africa, which tracked 200 corporate social responsibility initiatives across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, less than half were fully delivered, and fewer still showed measurable community satisfaction.
Only 35% of the companies surveyed published third-party verified impact reports. Disaggregated data, by gender, region, or income, was even rarer.
“CSR has become a checkbox for quarterly reports,” says Dr. Lydia Wanjiru, governance expert at the University of Nairobi.
“Without transparency and community co-creation, it’s just philanthropy theatre.”
Branding without backbone
Across East Africa, companies are increasingly promoting their environmental and social credentials. But beneath the glossy visuals and corporate reports, many initiatives lack long-term engagement or systems change.
“Impact washing is branding without backbone,” says David Mwakisha of the East Africa Social Enterprise Network.
“You’ll see videos of tree-planting ceremonies, but no follow-up on irrigation access or sustainable land use.”
This disconnect is especially visible in sectors like agritech and consumer goods, where ESG narratives often outpace what’s happening on the ground.
When CSR works: Strategy, not side-project
Still, some companies are charting a different path, integrating impact into business strategy rather than treating it as PR.
Standard Chartered Bank Kenya anchors its Futuremakers initiative around education, employability, and entrepreneurship. The initiative is not a donation—it’s part of the bank’s sustainable growth model. By 2024, over 30,000 young people had benefitted from sports-based life skills, vocational training and green finance products, all funded through the bank’s sustainable-income streams.
“Futuremakers isn’t a side-project,” says CEO Kariuki Ngari.
“It’s integral to how we drive sustainable growth,” he adds.
Coca-Cola Kenya, through its Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN), links water stewardship directly to its bottling operations. The company has restored freshwater ecosystems that support 1.7 million Kenyans, while reducing its own water usage by 20%.
Recognising company water at its core ingredient, RAIN secures Cocoa Cola’s license to operate and ensures communities thrive. To date, the program has restored freshwater ecosystems affecting 1.7 million people in Kenya, while reducing the company’s operational water use by 20%.
On the other hand, Unilever East Africa has embedded hygiene behaviour-change into its product design and distribution. Handwashing campaigns using Lifebuoy soap are now part of both its sales model and community engagement work. In Kisumu County alone, school handwashing rates rose 40% through locally led distribution and NGO partnerships.
What communities are really saying
“We’ve hosted five CSR launches in ten years. Only one project still works.”
— Peter Okello, community leader, Busia County
“Real impact means asking, ‘What do we need?’ – not ‘What fits your brand story?’”
— Amina Yusuf, youth advocate, Garissa
“We need CSR that’s less about ribbon-cutting and more about systems change.”
— Dr. Mercy Mugo, policy advisor, KIPPRA
Their insights echo a rising demand for corporate accountability – not just commitments.
What needs to change
Experts and practitioners agree: meaningful CSR must evolve from optics to outcomes. That means stronger accountability mechanisms, inclusive processes, and alignment with public priorities.
Among the most cited shifts:
- Independent verification of CSR claims
- Community co-design throughout the project lifecycle
- Detailed impact reporting, disaggregated by gender, income, and region
- Integration with national development goals
- Multi-year partnerships over one-off donations
“CSR should be a bridge between business and society – not a billboard,” says George Odhiambo, director at the Centre for Responsible Business.
CTA: From banners to better business
If East Africa’s private sector is to be a real partner in social transformation, it must move beyond storytelling to systems thinking.
If you are a business leader, audit your impact – does your CSR strategy solve long-term problems or decorate short-term reports?
If you are a creative or journalist, follow the money – whose story gets celebrated, and whose gets erased?
If you are a citizen, ask for data, not drama. Celebrate companies that build with communities, not for them.
The line between philanthropy theatre and sustainable strategy is not blurry; it is just too often ignored. Drawing that line clearly, and holding it, may be the difference between a future built on promises and one grounded in real, lasting change.
