This archive report was first published on 12 May 2020.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, residents in Murang'a's Mathioya sub-county have found themselves in a desperate situation. With bars closed, alcohol addicts have turned to a surprising substitute: sanitizers.
According to local residents, the high content of alcohol in the sanitizers has made them a tempting alternative to expensive liquor sold in supermarkets. 'We cannot go a day without taking liquor,' said one resident, James Kamau. 'The sanitizers have stronger alcoholic content than ordinary brews, so we opted to consume them as an alternative.'
However, this trend has raised serious health concerns. Mathioya Deputy County Commissioner Kipchumba Rutto has warned residents against consuming the sanitizers, stating that they are 'harmful for human health.' Rutto has directed chiefs and their assistants to arrest those found consuming the sanitizers and take them for medical attention before facing the law.
Local MP Peter Kimari has also condemned the residents who are flouting government's protocol on COVID-19. 'Those consuming sanitizers are frustrating government's efforts to combat coronavirus and legal action should be taken against them,' Kimari said. 'I appeal to security officers to move with speed and apprehend individuals found abusing sanitizers and press charges against them.'
Residents like Doris Gathambi have expressed concern over the dangers of consuming sanitizers. 'The chemicals used in disinfectants are dangerous and people should be told the truth about the adverse effects of consuming them. It affects their health in the long run.'
