This archive report was first published on 18 May 2020.
On May 18, 2020, the government handed over hand sanitizer worth Ksh38 million to the Bodaboda Safety Association of Kenya in a bid to boost the fight against Coronavirus.
Speaking at the Kenyatta International Conventions Centre, ICT, Innovations and Youth Affairs CS Mucheru emphasized the crucial role the boda boda sector plays in the fight against the pandemic.
‘In order to be able to follow the rules set by the ministry of health, it is important to be able to support everyone and that is why we have decided to provide hand sanitizers and face masks to the operators who are very important to the economy of the country,’ Mucheru said.
He noted that the boda boda sector is worth over Ksh 219 billion, and the government aims to support the industry in both the health and economic aspects during the Covid-19 pandemic.
‘We now have new ways of working and doing things and in the technology sector we have seen e-commerce growing significantly and in the heart of it are the logistics that the boda boda people provide where they are able to move goods from one side to another in a safe way,’ said the CS.
He added that companies like Alibaba in China grew through the Sars epidemic in 2009, and in the same way, there are some companies which will emerge as a result of the Coronavirus.
Petroleum and Mining CS John Munyes commended Kenya Pipeline for delivering the sanitizers to the youth, saying they will pass crucial messages to ensure people are safe.
The government has mobilized 24,000 liters of the disinfectant worth Ksh38 million and is mobilizing more through the mining fraternity who are going to provide jobs for the youth during these difficult times.
