Businessmen from Trans Nzoia County have received face masks from nominated MCA Margaret Sabina Wanjala in an effort aimed at curbing the spread of the Coronavirus. The more than 500 traders who included boda boda riders as well as other small business communities benefitted from the aid, with the MCA noting that accessing face masks is hard for them. “These masks cost Kshs 100 and for a poor boda boda rider and a vegetable seller cannot afford such cash to sustain their budget. That’s why I came up with the idea to help these vulnerable groups,” she said.
She has challenged the national government to provide face masks to all Kenyans as the war on the Covid-19 pandemic heats up countrywide. She raised concerns about the high prices of face masks, “The prices of the face masks is so high such that the poor folks
cannot afford. The unregulated manner in which hawkers are selling the face masks is worrying.”
Speaking at the Kitale after distributing the face masks and sanitizers, she said she’ll be fronting a motion in the County assembly where she’ll seek to have the Trans Nzoia County government provide all residents with free sanitizers and masks. She said the government must also feed the poor, “Now that many businesses have closed and our people have nothing to feed their families including students and pupils who are are home, the government must also put in place measures to distribute food freely to vulnerable families.”
She argued that since Covid-19 is a pandemic, the country should use the money at the Strategic Food Reserve to buy maize still being
held by farmers in order to help boost production during this planting season.
According to Mrs Wanjala, the national government should start giving farm implements to farmers for free in order to boost
production and food security.