Kirinyaga County has begun mass production of face masks for distribution to members of the public in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the county.
The production is taking place at the county’s Kaitheri Wezesha Mama Apparel Factory situated in Kerugoya.
Speaking on Citizen TV’s Day Break show, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru said the factory that has created employment for women in the textile industry is producing 1,000 masks every day.
Governor Waiguru said the masks are made in compliance with the laid down standards which include using materials that have been certified by Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
“We are making them (masks) in the layers that are required using the fabric that is required, in terms of enabling somebody to breathe, but at the same time being able to provide a filter, it can’t be 100% like the surgical mask,” she said.
She said the Ksh.4 million budget allocated by the county assembly in the Covid 19 fight went mostly to the acquisition of personal protective equipment (PPEs) including masks and boots for the doctors as well as tanks and soaps that have been circulated to the public.
Kaitheri Apparel center started operations in 2019 and has been producing school uniforms, hospital linen and apparels such as dust coats, overall gowns and aprons for use by county workers.
Curtains and bed linens for the newly created Covid-19 isolation ward were also sewn at the linen factory. The factory is one of the ‘Wezesha Kirinyaga’ economic stimulus program which is aimed at empowering women economically.
Governor Waiguru has reiterated the need by residents to adhere to all the laid down Covid-19 prevention measures which the two levels of government are implementing and enforcing.
“We have not yet registered any cases of corona virus and we want to do all that we can to ensure that we do not have a spread of the disease in the county,” said the governor.
