• The masks are being produced at the county government-owned Kaitheri Wezesha Mama Apparel Factory.
• The factory is one of the ‘Wezesha Kirinyaga’ economic stimulus programmes, aimed at empowering women economically.
The Kirinyaga government has started mass production of masks for distribution to residents.
The county government is producing 1,000 masks daily through the Kaitheri Wezesha Mama Apparel Factory in Kerugoya.
Governor Anne Waiguru said the materials being used to produce the masks have been certified by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs).
“This is one of the measures we have put in place to protect Kirinyaga people from the virus, even though we have not yet registered any positive cases,” the county chief said.
The county government established the Kaitheri factory in 2019 to make hospital linen and apparel such as dust coats, overall gowns and aprons used by county workers.
It has also been producing school uniforms for Early Childhood Development Education centres, which are sold to parents at a subsidised price.
Curtains and bed linens for the newly created Covid-19 isolation ward at Kerugoya County Referral Hospital were made at the linen factory.
The factory employs 30 women who work in two shifts due to the social distancing requirement.
The factory is one of the ‘Wezesha Kirinyaga’ economic stimulus programmes, aimed at empowering women economically.
The county government has also started an egg production project in which chicken coops were constructed and chicks issued to 32 women's groups in February this year.
The governor urged residents to continue adhering to government directives to keep the coronavirus at bay.
Two weeks ago, the county marked car parks for use by traders to decongest busy markets such as Kagio, Kutus, Kerugoya and Kianyaga.
Edited by A.N.