KPC in conjunction with several public and private sector players has released about 130,000 litres of free hand sanitizers to members of the public.
The sanitizers are packed in 500-millilitre bottles for household use and 20-litre containers for institutions such as health centres, police stations, market centres, and other places where Kenyans frequent for essential services.
The distribution exercise will be overseen by respective county commissioners in all the 47 counties.
So far, over 93,000 litres of the free government of Kenya hand sanitizer has been released to several counties namely Nairobi, Kilifi, Mombasa, Kwale and Nakuru. Others include Siaya, Kajiado, Kiambu, Muranga, Makueni and Machakos.
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“Our distribution model has prioritized those counties that have confirmed COVID-19 cases followed by those that are potential hotspots. But ultimately, our mapping strategy will cover all the 47 counties,” said Beatrice Orgut, KPC’s Health and Safety Manager.
The hand sanitizers whose production KPC was coordinating will be distributed for free across the country mainly targeting the informal settlements.
Some of the companies that provided their blending plants at no cost to package and bottle the free hand sanitizers include Vivo Energy Kenya, Total Kenya, Ola Energy, Kenol Kobil, Pwani Oil and Sepyanna Oil East Africa.
East African Breweries, Bollore Logistics, and Maersk Kenya in support of the initiative also provided their vehicles and warehouses for free to store and transport these sanitizers to all the 47 counties in Kenya.
According to KPC Managing Director Dr Macharia Irungu, the free hand sanitizers is a classical example of what a joint public and private sector efforts can do to our country.
“In less than two weeks, KPC, oil marketing companies and other players have produced over 130,000 litres of free hand sanitizers to benefit Kenya’s most vulnerable people. This will go a long way in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in the country,” Dr Irungu observed.
Dr Irungu, in addition, said that KPC was expecting over 600,000 litres of ethanol, a critical ingredient in the blending of hand sanitizers, which is in KRA’s custody.
The free hand sanitizers initiative is part of the government’s effort to curb the spread of COVID-19/Coronavirus.
Recently President Uhuru Kenyatta, through a letter dated 18th March 2020 signed by Head of the Public Service Joseph Kinyua, mandated KPC to liaise with selected oil industry players and other private sector players who expressed willingness to produce alcohol-based sanitizers for free distribution to the public throughout the country as one way of preventing the spread of Covid-19.
Kenya has so far seen 42 people infected with the virus as of Sunday 29th March 2020 according to the Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe.
