Kenyans to get free alcohol sanitizers after the latest government order issued by Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua

Kenyans to get free alcohol sanitizers after the latest government order

Tony Mukere

March 19, 2020 9:21 AM

Move expected to reduce price of alcohol based hand sanitizers

Kenyans to get free alcohol sanitizers after the latest government order issued by Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua

Kenyans will soon start getting free alcohol sanitizers as the government increased measures to prevent the deadly coronavirus which has seen seven cases so far recorded in the country.

Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua on Wednesday sent out a memo to various government corporations directing them to work together to manufacture the alcohol based sanitizers for purposes of free distribution to members of the public.

The initiative will be carried out through the Kenya Pipeline Corporations which will work with private sector players who have offered to help solve the coronavirus crisis.

"The government is desirous of distributing affordable sanitizers to the general public. To this end, corporations in the oil industry have volunteered to produce alcohol based sanitizers for distribution for free to the general public."

"KPC will liaise with the oil industry players, who have expressed willingness to produce the sanitizers, for the expedited manufacture and distribution. Further, KPC will implement an accountability framework to ensure that the ethanol is utilized for the manufacture and distribution of the sanitizers," Kinyua stated in an official memo.

Hand sanitizers , which are a major asset in preventing spread of the coronavirus, have been is short supply as the demand surged following the announcement of the first case of the deadly virus on Friday last week.

Some unscrupulous suppliers have taken advantage of the crisis to hike prices for the alcohol based sanitizers even as the government threatened to take action against such traders.

Kenyans who have no access to the sanitizers have been advised to use water and soap to wash their hands as it has the same effect as the alcohol sanitizers.

Tony Mukere