The MP spoke when she issued face masks to bodaboda operators at Kabati in Maragua subcounty on Wednesday.
She contracted local tailors to make the masks.
The masks, she said, are washable and can be used for up to three months.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe on Monday said the government would upscale the provision of personal protective equipment through local manufacturers.
The CS noted that the government would engage the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) to produce face masks and protective suits for distribution to medical workers.
Chege said the pandemic could benefit the country through the promotion of the local production and manufacturing sector which is encompassed in the government’s Big Four agenda.
She also noted that the country has to prepare itself for a surge of new births later in the year due to the curfew.
“This disease has caused a lot of anxiety but it has also brought families together,” she said.
Chege reiterated the need for Kenyans to limit their movements and observe hygiene to avoid a possible lockdown.
She called upon chiefs to identify families that are extremely poor, those with disabilities and sick persons for assistance by the government.
“The extremely vulnerable families can be given food vouchers which they can use to buy foodstuffs in their local shops,” she said.
Chege said Kenyans should be prohibited from travelling upcountry as the weekend draws in to avoid spreading the disease from urban areas.
“We have seen the numbers of infections and deaths rising in other countries. Every individual should protect themselves and practice social distancing,” she said.
She emphasised that health workers should be provided with sufficient protective gear and an insurance cover that would support them in case they got infected.
They are risking their lives to save patients, she said.
(edited by o. owino)
