Kirinyaga County begins mass production of Masks

From Kirinyaga.go.ke

The mask project, spearheaded by the County’s Department of Gender and Social Services aims at producing over 100,000 face masks. The masks are sewed at the County’s Kaitheri Wezesha Mama Apparel Factory situated in Kerugoya.

Governor Anne Waiguru said that mask production aims at helping the people who cannot afford to buy masks for themselves and others who are exposed due to the nature of their work. She said that distribution of the reusable masks will begin this week targeting groups such as market traders, public transport and bodaboda operators and people living in informal settlements before going to other members of the public.

About 30 women are involved in making the masks at the factory with the full observation of all Covid-19 prevention measures which includes working in shifts to maintain social distance. Spearheaded by the County’s Department of Gender and Social Services, the project aims at producing over 100,000 face masks.

The Governor said that the masks are made in compliance with the laid down standards which include using materials that have been certified by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS). “We have not yet registered any cases of Covid-19 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, adding that provision of masks is one of the interventions that the county is implementing in Covid-19 prevention.

Kaitheri Apparel Center started operations in 2019 and has been producing school uniforms, hospital linen and apparel for use by workers such as dust coats, overall gowns and aprons. 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 programs 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.