PSVs yet to comply with government's order on face masks

Most Passenger Service Vehicles in Nairobi are yet to comply with the government’s directive that all drivers and conductors, as well as passengers, swear face masks to prevent transmission of Covid-19. 

The Star spoke to numerous operators in the CBD, most of who admitted that a majority of the masks available are pricey and of low quality. 

“The masks go for Sh100 or Sh50 for the cheapest. I do not have money to purchase one. My children are at home waiting for me to bring them food in the evening; so which one should I choose between buying a mask or food for my children?” Rachel, a tout in a LATEMA Sacco matatu posed. 

Nicholas, a tout from the Meru Nissan Sacco, also cited price as a hindrance to purchasing the face masks. 

“You see here they are walking around with various kinds of masks selling them at Sh100. For me, this is kind of expensive unless I buy along the road in the countryside where they are sold at Sh40,” Nicholas says. 

Richard, a driver of a ROG Sacco matatu, says that he is yet to find the right quality of masks to purchase. 

“I am actually risking because our Sacco has already ordered that every driver and conductor should wear these masks. The problem is that there are so many kinds of masks being peddled around here that it is difficult to know the right one,” Richard says. 

On Friday, Trade and Industrialisation Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina revealed that local producers can produce up to 60 million masks a day with one million already in distribution. 

She added that the locally-manufactured masks will go for a maximum of Sh20. 

However, Emmanuel, a tout at the Kencom bus stage, bemoans the fact that certain unscrupulous people are exploiting the situation by peddling low-quality face masks. 

“There are a lot of middlemen here who come here to sell at high prices yet they are of low quality which they just sewed using normal clothes. I will just wait for Monday for the government to start distributing their face masks,” Emmanuel says. 

During Friday’s press briefing by Health Chief Administrative Secretary Dr Mercy Mwangangi, CS Maina outlined the right quality of face mask that is a suitable barrier against the virus. 

“When buying a face mask, ensure that it has an outer and inner layer that traps the particles. There is also an inner filter that offers protection from the virus,” Maina said. 

Regardless of the guidelines, Michael Njuguna, a driver of a LATEMA Sacco bus, is more pessimistic of the face masks and their ability to prevent transmission of Covid-19. 

“It’s not like these masks can help you avoid that disease. First, most of those being sold around are fake so there is no need to waste my money buying something that wouldn’t work,” Njuguna, who is in his late 60s, says. 

While warning of an increased threat of Covid-19 transmission, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe had on Thursday decreed that all passengers, drivers and conductors aboard PSV must wear face masks. 

Before then, wearing the masks had been optional with the government at one time even warning Kenyans against wearing them without a medical reason or proper knowledge. 

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