Boost for local manufactures as KAM, Equity bank supports Kenyan-made PPEs

It is easy to look around as see how the COVID-19 has negatively impacted several sectors in the country. Time and again communities have demonstrated that even the worst situations can bring with them some form of positivity.

Such is the case for over 95 local manufactures in the country who have been trained on quality development of PPEs by McKinsey & Company, with funding support from the UK Department for International Development (DFID), as part of a partnership with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Enterprise Development (MoITED).

The manufacturers have been educated on how to meet national standards and international quality standards in production of PPEs and in the creation of efficient supply chains. Additionally, the COVID-19 Fund Board has been making post training field tours to assess the capacity and quality of PPEs currently in production by local manufacturers.

The local production for PPEs was initiated when EGF in partnership with Equity Bank, the family of Dr James Mwangi and Mastercard Foundation mobilized Kshs 1.1 billion towards the provision of PPEs for frontline healthcare workers dealing with COVID-19 patients. Working in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the COVID-19 Fund Board the initiative sought to achieve the national objective of protecting medical personnel while promoting the creation of a local medical supply ecosystem that would mitigate the disruption of the global supply chain. Equity has committed to work with KAM Members by extending financing and entrepreneurship training in order to meet the demand for medical supplies as well as build their businesses.

The creation of strong local manufacturing capacity in the country ensures a steady supply of PPEs and hedge against global supply chain disruptions while also supporting the national economy.