The Government of Kenya has been urged to regulate production and quality of masks sold locally to combat the spread of covid-19.
Molel Langat, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Executive Secretary Bomet County, led teachers in the call to have facemasks subjected to scrutiny by the authorized standards auditors to ascertain if they were capable of protecting users against the dreaded Coronavirus.
Langat said masks, made from all sorts of fabrics, have flooded the market and are peddled by traders who may not be keen on observing basic hygiene necessary to beat the spread of the pandemic.
He said tailors were burning the midnight oil sewing anything that would cover the nose and mouth of an individual without any considerations of whether the mask protects users or not.
“The masks we are buying are of completely different quality from those found in chemists and medical facilities. This raises concerns as to whether we are exposing ourselves by using masks that are not capable of barring viruses from reaching us,” he said.
The unionist reiterated the need for regulation of the apparel sector charged with facemasks production if Kenya was to free herself from covid-19 pandemic.
By Kipngeno Korir
