State releases free sanitisers to combat Covid-19 spread
National government has partnered with counties in distributing free hand sanitisers to the public in a new move to counter the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
Kenya Pipeline Corporation (KPC), which is spearheading the national government’s efforts to take the war against coronavirus to the grassroots, has in conjunction with several public and private sector players, released about 150,000 litres of free sanitisers to counties countrywide.
Speaking to journalists after delivering over 1,400 litres of the sanitisers to the Chair of Council of Governors Wycliffe Oparanya at the council offices in Nairobi on Tuesday, PS Petroleum Andrew Kamau said national and county governments should collaborate for the country to fight coronavirus effectively.
Council of Governors
“It is our responsibility to slow down the Covid-19 rate of infection. In this regard, KPC will be donating 20,000 litres of GoK hand sanitisers to the council of governors every week to be distributed free of charge to our people down at the grassroots across 47 counties,” PS Kamau said.
“As a government, we are certain that the free hand sanitisers from government will be a big boost to the country’s strategy against Covid-19.
But we cannot succeed without county governments because they are critical governance units to help us in this noble agenda,” Kamau told reporters.
Oparanya commended KPC for bringing industry players together to produce the sanitisers.
“For an agency that does not belong to the health sector such as KPC to step forward and help counties fight Covid-19 is highly commendable.
We appeal to other corporates and institutions to come forward and support county governments so that our people in the rural areas can feel the presence of government,” Oparanya said.
Accountability
“We will put an accountable mechanism in place to ensure that this kind donation of GoK hand sanitisers reaches all our rural communities free of charge through county grassroots networks,” he said adding that this intervention is very critical especially in the rural areas where most Kenyans reside.
The sanitisers initiative is part of the government’s effort to curb the spread of Covid-19 in a country that has seen the number of people in Kenya who have tested positive rise to 50 by March 30, according to the Ministry of Health.
Governor Oparanya thanked Vivo Energy Kenya, Total Kenya, Ola Energy, Kenol Kobil, Pwani Oil and Sepyanna Oil East Africa all which have provided their blending plants at no cost to package and bottle the sanitisers.
“I also thank East African Breweries, Bollore Logistics, and Maersk Kenya for providing their vehicles and warehouses for free to store and transport these sanitisers to all the 47 counties in Kenya.
This is a very kind gesture for the people of Kenya and we do not take it for granted,” said the Kakamega county chief.
