Kitui garment factory to make face masks

username 31st March, 2020 09:08 AM

As Covid-19 continues to impact communities worldwide, Kitui County Textile Centre (Kicotec) has started producing face masks to curb its spread.

The facility is making sample facemasks and other preventive gear as the government steps up measures to fight the rising number of infections.

The samples will be presented to the Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe and Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) for approval and subsequent orders.

On Monday, Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu said Kicotec has the capacity to make thousands of masks per day.

I held a meeting with the @KEBS_ke MD,@bnjinu where I presented an assortment of products from our KICOTEC among them face masks. We are seeking @KEBS_ke facilitation on acquisition of the #StandardizationMark which is a mandatory mark for all locally manufactured products. pic.twitter.com/wpDt5beQkL
— Charity Ngilu (@mamangilu) March 30, 2020

She said the lack of masks, gowns, among other protective gear was hampering the ability of medical workers to fight coronavirus and putting their own lives at risk.