•Dettol is looking to support government efforts to maintain high hygiene standards
•Among beneficiaries of the items will be travelers arriving from abroad, who will be under government-supervised quarantine in various public facilities
Dettol products manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser has donated 7,200 bars of handwashing soap worth Sh500,000 to reinforce hand washing as a weapon against the spread of COVID-19.
This at a time when hand washing is a key practice required to safeguard individuals from contracting the virus.
“We as Dettol support government efforts to maintain high hygiene standards and are cognizant of the fact that these items may be quite unaffordable to a good number of Kenyans, many who are already out of work,” marketing manager Africa expansion, Treza Kinoru, said.
The items will be distributed through the Kenya Red Cross Society.
“Many Kenyans are facing challenges accessing basic handwashing materials mainly because they are not widely available in shops whereas in some places people just can’t afford them,” Kenya Red Cross secretary-general, Asha Mohammed said.
The donation will ensure that health and safety measures are implemented and the surplus will be distributed in other locations within the country.
Among the beneficiaries of the items will be travelers arriving from abroad, who will be under government-supervised quarantine in various public facilities.
The Kenya Red Cross is supporting government efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 through community-based surveillance and social mobilisation for infection prevention and control across the country.
The Society is offering Psycho-social support to affected families including providing counseling to first-line health care workers and call center staff.
Kenya has so far recorded 28 cases of the deadly virus with the government putting measures to stop more spreading, including a daily curfew from seven p.m. to five a.m. which is set to begin tomorrow.
The company will continue to make its handwashing products available at the normal retail prices and asked retailers not to increase prices beyond the recommended ones.