Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula has called on the government to distribute free hand sanitisers in all public places to control the spread of the deadly Covid-19 (novel coronavirus).
Already, three people in Kenya have tested positive for the disease.
Mr Wetang’ula on Sunday said that the sanitisers will help curb the spread of the disease as well as relieve Kenyans of the burden of purchasing them.
“The common mwananchi is concerned about purchasing a packet of flour to feed his family. It is very expensive for him to purchase both sanitisers and food,” he said.
His call follows the confirmation of three coronavirus case in Kenya, the first one involving a 27-year-old woman who travelled from the US via London. The three other cases were confirmed on Sunday.
This has led to an aggressive campaign urging the public to use sanitisers and also wash hands using soap.
Already, businessmen have begun installing sanitisers in their premises. Churches, hotels and public transport systems are using sanitisers to try and curb the spread of the disease after the three cases were confirmed in Kenya.
Speaking during a fundraiser at Malindi Pefa Church, Mr Wetang’ula also called on religious leaders to pray for the country and the entire world following the coronavirus outbreak.
“This is a unique disease which infects the celebrities, rich and powerful in the society compared to other epidemics such as Ebola,” he said.
The Ford Kenya Party leader also told Kenyans to desist from giving false information about the pandemic.
“When the government announced it has confirmed the first coronavirus case in the country, some people went to social media to link others with the patient. This should be condemned since this a serious pandemic,” he said.
At the same time, Mr Wetang’ula called on the government to allocate funds to the ailing tourism industry to help it recover from the effects of coronavirus.
“They [can even stop] the road projects since they can wait (so as) to ensure people in the tourism industry are not rendered jobless due to coronavirus,” he said.
Last week, Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala announced that the government has set aside Sh500 million to help the tourism sector recover from the effects of the coronavirus outbreak which is now threatening global economies.
Part of the funds will be used to restore confidence to ensure that Kenya remains a preferred travel destination globally.
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