This archive report was first published on 20 June 2020.
On June 20, 2020, Nation Media Group and Standard Group launched a joint initiative to safeguard their newspaper vendors and customers in Kenya amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
The two media houses have embarked on a mass distribution of face masks, hand sanitizers, and gloves to vendors in Western Kenya to protect them from the novel coronavirus.
Standard Group's General Manager for Sales and Distribution, Moses Ocholla, and Nation Media Group's Commercial Manager (Circulation) for Western region, Dismus Makanda, oversaw the launch in Kisumu.
According to Ocholla, the aim is to reach out to all vendors across the country to 'sanitise the trade.'
He emphasized that the items will be used at all newspaper selling points to ensure the safety of vendors and readers, adding that newspapers are not a conduit for the transmission of Covid-19.
Meanwhile, Makanda noted that the media houses will cater to those who prefer non-print channels, providing opportunities for customers to access papers through electronic platforms.
Approximately 2,000 vendors in the western region will benefit from the program.
