Kenya Pipeline Company will deliver 20,000 litres of free hand-sanitisers weekly to counties in efforts to battle the spread of coronavirus. FILE PHOTO | NMG Kenya Pipeline Company will deliver 20,000 litres of free hand-sanitisers weekly to counties in efforts to battle the spread of coronavirus.
KPC managing director Macharia Irungu said the hand-sanitisers will be produced from one million litres of ethanol.
The companylast week produced and distributed sanitisers made from 185,000 litres of ethanol from 600, 000 litres impounded by the Kenya Revenue Authority and the ethics agency following a State directive.
Demand for the disinfectant has jumped with retailers like Tuskys and Naivas rationing the product to two per customer.
A 500 millilitre-bottle goes for between Sh800 and Sh1,000, putting it beyond the reach of poor households.
The price is one the factors that prompted the production of free sanitisers as the government steps up the campaign to contain the disease that is giving the world sleepless nights.
“We are proud to be spearheading their manufacture and distribution as part of government’s rapid response efforts to put in place measures and mechanisms, as announced by His Excellency the President, to curb the spread of the Covid-19.”
Firms including Vivo Energy Kenya, Total Kenya, Ola Energy, KenolKobil, Pwani Oil and Sepyana Oil East Africa have all provided their blending plants at no cost for packaging of the sanitisers.